Chance Encounters
by katsuyo
Summary: AU Multichapter. Yakuza Boss Kiba Inuzuka has a nasty little surprise waiting for him when he pays a surprise visit to his mistress. It's fine because he soon discovers a suitable replacement in the form of the floral delivery driver. Poor Hinata!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

I was inspired to write a Kiba and Hinata pairing as a result of stumbling across two one-shots from Akasha on the AFF.

If you are old enough to get into the site – the two stories are: possession is 9/10s of the law and repossession.

The story is dedicated to **Celtic Oak**, an author whose work I greatly admire. I love all of her stories but Magnetism is a personal favorite of mine.

This is my first alternate universe story. I'm always up for trying something different. I hope you enjoy it.

Please feel free to leave a review if you wish. It's always nice to hear your thoughts.

A small word of warning to would be flamers:

Yes, this story is dark and it will get darker.

I will pretty much write whatever my perverted muse is whispering in my ear at the time.

Do not send me any derogatory commentary regarding the portrayal of certain Naruto characters in this story.

My personal opinion of a particular character is irrelevant to the true importance of the tale being told.

It's a work of fan fiction created for the sole purpose of reader enjoyment and should be viewed as such.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. There is only one person who can boast that claim and I'm not him.

**Last delivery**

Hinata was tired. This was the last floral delivery of the day and she was eager to get back to her cozy little apartment and soak in a fragrant tub of hot water.

The petite dark haired woman wearily looked at her delivery slip and waited for the elevator to travel down to the ground floor.

She sighed disheartening when she saw that she had to go to the top floor to deliver the arrangement but she was thrilled that her boss was allowing her to go straight home rather than dropping off the van this evening.

Hinata shifted the bouquet in her arms and waited patiently for the elevator to do its graceful descent into the main lobby of the sleek office complex.

Her eyes shifted nervously around the foyer as she silently willed the elevator to hurry up. She was used to buildings having all the modern advances of property protection displayed but this place with the large amount of security cameras dotted discreetly around the foyer made her feel a little uneasy for some reason.

The young woman took a final glance at the slip as the elevator finally reached the ground floor and the doors slid open.

She was silently praying that there was a listing of names on the top floor. The last thing she really wanted to do was get lost.

Hinata stepped in and was about to push the button for the top floor, when she heard a deep voice asking her to hold the elevator for him.

She nodded and put a dainty foot out, waiting to hear the man approach the lift.

The man stepped in and stood patiently a little away from her, waiting for the elevator to start moving.

"Sir? Which floor are you going to?" asked the young woman.

The large man watched the petite woman in mild interest as she slid her leg back and allowed the doors to close.

"Top floor." replied the man smoothly.

He was fascinated that not once had she been tempted to look back in his direction as the lift commenced its long ascent to the top.

She seemed more concerned about maintaining her grip on the bouquet than satisfying her curiosity about the other occupant of the elevator.

Yes, it was curiously refreshing to have a woman not interested in checking him out for once in his life.

So, why was he also a little put out by that thought?

---------------------------

Hinata swallowed a little nervously, trying not to let the man behind her know that he made her a little uneasy. She didn't know why but she felt sure that it was mainly due to her sheltered family life prior to taking the job at her friend's Florist shop and asserting her independence.

Her experience with and around men was pretty much non-existent and despite her new lifestyle, she was too shy to go out and actively meet someone nice.

The thought of having to talk to a guy made her freeze up. She pushed her dark glasses firmly back on her nose and jostled the large glass vase, getting a firmer grip on the vessel.

"Miss? Do you need help with that?" asked the man with an amused tone in his voice.

Hinata swallowed nervously and replied softly, "Uh, no… thank you. It's okay."

He shrugged but continued to watch the small woman with mild curiosity.

Kiba really didn't like _his_ women that fragile looking but he couldn't help but quietly admire her elegant petite frame. There was something about her that spoke of an inner resilience despite her outward appearances.

She didn't look strong but he could tell by the way she was toting that arrangement, overall first impressions were deceptive.

A quiet feminine voice echoed in the emptiness of the elevator.

"Um, Sir? Could you please tell me when we get to the top floor?"

Kiba grinned and raised an eyebrow at that request. If she continued using that lovely soothing tone of hers, he would be more than happy to fulfill any demand this woman made.

_Not that he thought that a woman like her would make many demands… she rather looked the type who would prefer to blend into the wallpaper than be the center of attention.  
_

"Sure."

-----------------------------

It was hard not to feel intimidated sharing an enclosed space with a large man like this one surely was. Hinata was thankful that she had thought to put her sunglasses on prior to entering the building. Unwanted male attention had always made her nervous, yet the simple disguise seemed to deter men from being a nuisance.

She felt the elevator finally come to a stop with a little shudder and heaved a small sigh of relief.

_At last!_

Hinata stiffened when she heard his gruff chuckle so close to her and found herself looking over the top of the giant bouquet to the large man in the suit holding the door of the elevator open for her.

_Oh my! He certainly was an arresting figure! She wasn't going to be forgetting that face in a hurry._

The odd tribal tattoos on his lean cheeks made him look barely civilized and yet he looked at total ease wearing that very expensive Italian suit.

The dark haired woman shuffled past him in a hurry, anxious to be out of there.

She stopped at the directory and felt the man walk away stealthily down the hallway, finally disappearing into one of the many rooms.

Her eyes swiftly went down the neat little listing and finally found the name on her slip.

**_Kiba Inuzuka_****_– Room 115_**

She looked at the doors on both sides of the foyer and realized that she needed to go in the same direction as the man who just left.

The small woman sighed again and shuffled off after him. This whole situation made her uneasy. She couldn't wait to just make the delivery and get out of here as fast as she could to the sanctuary of her little apartment.

---------------------------------

He had come to the office this evening in the hopes that doing some work would help diffuse the residual rage he felt over his mistress's betrayal.

_Correction… his now ex-mistress._

It wasn't as though Sakura was going to miss his company at any rate if what he had interrupted was any indication.

_Hmmpph. Neji Hyuuga was welcome to her._

He had smelt the scent of sex high in the air the moment he entered the expensively appointed apartment and had known right then that Sakura had found someone else to scratch her itch.

Kiba remembered approaching the bedroom door and opening it to find her with her legs high up in the air getting screwed to an inch of her life by the master assassin of the Hyuuga Family.

It was odd because he didn't feel that killing rage slip over him that he normally got when he found himself betrayed.

He had stood there for a moment with his hands in his pockets, coldly observing the scene before him before he left the room and the apartment without a backward glance.

Kiba had driven directly to his office building, mentally going through the arrangements he needed to finalize with his lawyer for Sakura to have the apartment.

She had been an excellent mistress up until now. He could afford to be generous, now that he realized that she saved him from making a huge mistake later down the track.

It was the small woman in the elevator that had him feeling confused. He wasn't ready for a relationship so soon after the demise of his current arrangement but he had found himself contemplating how the petite dark haired woman would feel in his arms.

The light rapping on his door effectively stopped Kiba's inner musings.

"Who is it?" growled the man softly.

Hinata swallowed hearing that sexy little growl in the man's voice. She now wanted the floor to open up and swallow her up. It was _him_. The man in the elevator was her delivery.

------------------------------

"Mister Kiba Inuzuka?" asked a feminine voice hesitantly.

Kiba sat up straight in his seat, suddenly on alert. He recognized the voice as belonging to the young woman with the giant floral arrangement.

"Yes. Please come in." replied Kiba. He was curious as to what she looked like from the front and wanted to know what she was hiding behind those large glasses of hers.

He watched the office door open up and saw the bouquet on legs gingerly shuffle into the room before the young woman gently placed the vase onto his desk.

"Could you please sign this, sir?" murmured Hinata, holding out her delivery slip.

She watched him sign the slip with a flourish and was about to make her escape out the door when she heard, "Take it away. I don't want it."

Hinata paused with her hand on the door and looked at the large man behind the desk in amazement.

_Did he just say that he didn't want the arrangement?_

"P-pardon?" stuttered the startled woman.

"The bouquet. Take it away… I don't want it." repeated the man with a low growl.

Hinata walked back to the desk slowly. This was a new one on her. She had never had someone refuse a floral delivery before. The young woman knew one thing though… there was no way in hell she could return the bouquet to the shop. Ino would kill her.

"Uh, sir… I can't take this back to the shop. The boss would be upset." Replied Hinata nervously.

Kiba raised an eyebrow at that and sighed.

_Yeah – he could understand that…but the reasoning was all wrong. _

The arrangement was gorgeous. He just didn't want anything to do with the sender. She had made her choice when she took the Hyuuga into her bed and her body.

It wasn't his concern that it seemed that she was now worried about losing her meal ticket.

He watched the young woman approach the desk again and noted absently that she was really quite pretty in an unconventional sense.

"Why don't you keep it then?" murmured the man smoothly.

Hinata was walking over to retrieve the flowers and stumbled a little when she heard this. She fell in front of the desk and managed to dislodge the oversized glasses from her face. The young woman could hear him standing up abruptly and felt something looming above her . Hinata looked up to see Kiba stood patiently beside her with his hand out, waiting to assist her.

She blushed vividly over her graceless tumble and gratefully grabbed the proffered out-stretched hand, pulling herself up from the floor.

Hinata bent down to retrieve her glasses and didn't hear Kiba give a shocked gasp.

He wasn't mistaken by what he saw briefly before she put those glasses back on. There was only one family in this town with those eyes and he saw one of them recently giving his ex the ride of her life.

_What the hell was going on here?_

-------------------------

"I keep it?" asked the young woman hesitantly.

"Yes. I will even help you carry it back down to your delivery van if you wish." replied the man with the odd facial tattoos.

She was surprised with his offer. Hinata never received flowers… not even from her own family. Granted – it was a delivery he didn't want but it was still flattering that he was offering them to her rather than throwing the bouquet in the garbage.

The young woman nodded in gratitude over his offer of the flowers and the help to return them to her van. She really wasn't relishing a return trip down that elevator with that heavy glass vase.

"Um, thank you, Mister Inuzuka. I would appreciate your help." murmured Hinata shyly.

"I wasn't looking forward to carrying that bouquet again." added the young woman sheepishly.

He was instantly charmed by her honest candor.

"Please. Call me Kiba… and you are?" prompted the large man.

He watched her swallow convulsively and reply in a small voice, "Hinata… please just call me Hinata."

Kiba raised an eyebrow at that peculiar response but said nothing. It was indeed intriguing that the young woman in front of him was extremely reluctant to divulge her last name to him.

He would soon find out what secrets she was hiding but for now, he would not ask her.

Kiba suddenly stood up and retrieved the heavy vase and looked at the young woman standing in front of his desk, nervously pushing two fingers together.

"Why don't you lead the way then and I will follow." murmured Kiba.

He watched highly amused as she nodded briefly before fleeing from his office as though the hounds of Hell were after her.

------------------------------------

Kiba Inuzuka loved mysteries and the little dark haired woman was certainly that.

He was not normally attracted to her type but he felt an annoying tug from an unknown spot of his anatomy and he was intrigued by it.

His attraction to women was for the most part – purely physical but this one was different. She stirred his heart.

He knew he was sporting a stupid grin on his face right now but he didn't care.

Kiba opened the door to his office and prowled over to the desk.

His body felt strangely alive, as if it knew that a new challenge had presented itself and in a way – it had.

The large man sat down and picked up the phone receiver, dialing a familiar number.

"Shino, How are you?" asked Kiba, smiling at the voice on the other end.

He listened intently to his friend for a moment and replied "No, I'm not seeing the delightful cherry blossom anymore. I found out today that she was getting pruned by someone else."

The silence on the line was deafening before Shino recommenced talking in his soothing low tone.

"No, I'm fine with it, actually. I'm at work right now but I think I will be heading home soon." replied Kiba with a smile.

"Why don't we get together during the weekend for dinner and I will fill you in on the details?"

He listened to his long time friend agree to meeting up over the weekend and suggest a time that would suit them both.

"That's fine, Shino. We'll go to our usual place. I have a favor to ask you. I need your specialized expertise to get some information about a woman I just met."

Kiba smiled when he heard the curiosity in his friend's voice and listened in quiet amusement at Shino's questions – both professional and personal.

"I don't know yet, Shino. She's not my usual… she's more the gentle wallflower than the little tigress type." responded Kiba, smiling wryly.

He listened to his friend asking him what he wanted to know about the woman and when he wanted the information.

"I would like the information as soon as possible, Shino. I am curious to know who Hinata Hyuuga is and why she is working for a florist delivering flowers, when her family is worth billions."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Here's the latest chapter for your reading pleasure. My sincere apologies in the delay.

Many thanks to the folks who have left reviews for the new story. I appreciate your comments and support.

The latest installment is dedicated to two people;

**Lady bern:** Thank you for the nicest mental whack in the head I have ever received from a reader. I hope you enjoy it and I will try not to be so slow next time. :D

**SpicyShani:** Thanks for the lovely PMs. They have kept me going while I have been busy pushing my two Kankuro stories through crucial plot transition chapters.

I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on the new chapters, so feel free to leave a review if you wish.

Please check my story updates section on my author's profile if you are curious about where I am in terms of story developments.

Since this is an AU story, I have decided to portray Akamaru as a human rather than as a canine.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

**Disclaimer:** I sadly do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

**A Fascinating Flower**

Kiba checked his Rolex watch and casually strolled to the back of the restaurant, blissfully ignorant of the stir he was causing amongst the female patrons.

The large man didn't notice the sensation he was creating as he continued his leisurely surveillance through the tiny restaurant scanning the booths for a familiar spectacle wearing figure. He grinned widely when he finally caught sight of his friend sitting quietly waiting with his hands in his pockets and the hood of his parker pushed off his head.

Shino, despite his good looks was first and foremost, all about comfort. His friend favored the styles that managed to cover his body from head and toe, whereas he preferred styles that displayed his natural animal magnetism at its best advantage. Shino preferred the solitude of the shadows and Kiba liked to shine in the glow of an admiring audience. It didn't surprise him in the least that they were such good friends. The large man was painfully aware of the fact that he and Shino were in essence, different reflections of the same coin. It had always been that way since the first moment they met many years ago in grade school.

Kiba supposed that in a way that their distinct personalities influenced their choice of professional careers.

He watched his friend step out from the booth and give Kiba a small smile.

"Kiba." acknowledged the man in the dark glasses with a slight nod.

The large man grabbed his friend in a bear hug before pulling back and replying, "Shino. It's good to see you."

Shino shook his head slightly at his friend's antics. He would never change and he thanked the spirits above for that small blessing.

Both men sat down and took a moment to go over the menus. The waitress gave them a friendly smile as she got their orders and soon departed, leaving the two men in peace for a while.

"So, how is your business these days, Shino?" asked Kiba in a conversational tone.

"It's doing extremely well. I can't complain. It pays the bills." replied the tall man in a wry tone.

Shino wasn't kidding him one little bit by that comment. Kiba knew for a fact that his friend loved what he did for a living.

Surveillance at the level that Shino delivered didn't come cheap and his shade wearing pal was the best in the business.

"So, how's the family business, Kiba?" asked Shino casually.

"The same old problems are there but profits couldn't be better," remarked the large man, his clan tattoos slashing menacingly down his high cheek bones as he grinned.

Shino shook his head, a small smile ghosting his lips. It was the typical Kiba response that he knew and loved. Kiba loved being the head of the Inuzuka branch of the Yakuza. It had amused Shino to no end that despite the family's shady dealings with the underground dog fights, the actual Inuzuka business dealings were surprisingly legitimate and well-run operations. Shino knew that when Kiba had taken over running the family organization, he had set up the family's current business portfolio so his friend would never be put in a position where he would be forced to use his skills against him. He was eternally grateful for that small favor. It would have been extremely awkward to explain to his beloved Hana why he was investigating her brother.

Shino pat the envelope beside him and gave a small smile. He had a feeling that his large friend was going to be thrown for a loop. The assignment Kiba had given him had turned out to be more challenging than he had been originally expecting. He was rarely surprised in his line of work and the young woman he'd been asked to investigate definitely had more layers to her personality than an onion.

Kiba looked over at his friend, an eyebrow raised in enquiry over the man's odd behavior. He saw his willowy friend touch the familiar looking envelope to reassure himself it was still where he put it before treating him to a rare smile.

_Yes – his friend was acting odd… as though he had discovered something fascinating..._

He was now more curious than ever to know what Shino had managed to dig up on the young floral delivery driver but had to swallow his groan of disappointment as he watched the waitress carry the heavily laden tray of food to their table.

_It couldn't be helped… he was going to have to wait until after the meal to satisfy his curiosity._

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Shino nodded his thanks to the waitress as she finished setting down their pot of tea and the small almond cakes before departing the table.

He watched Kiba lean forward to pour the fragrant green tea and silently gave careful consideration over which question he wanted to ask his tattooed friend first.

The tall man was torn between expressing concern over Kiba's recent mistress woes and satisfying his curiosity about the young woman he was asked to collect information on…

Shino was still debating about which woman he should ask about first when he caught the surprised look on his friend's face.

Shino watched from behind the sanctuary of his dark glasses in mild curiosity as Kiba carefully put down the hot teapot and moved a hand to retrieve the phone vibrating in his pocket.

"Hello, Inuzuka speaking…" began Kiba, only to frown in displeasure at the voice on the other end of the phone.

The frown deepened, listening intently for a while before he finally cut in, "Sakura, we've got nothing more to say to each other. I know you have signed the paperwork that my lawyer sent over and from what I saw the other day, you've had no problems filling the void I've left in your bed. Don't call again – I'm not interested!"

"The alluring cherry blossom is having problems about letting go?" asked Shino, an eyebrow raised.

"She misses the bottomless bank account and the notoriety of being the mistress of the Inuzuka more," growled Kiba in disgust, his tribal tattoos slashing down his face.

"So, what happened?" asked the bespeckled man, taking a sip of his green tea.

He watched his friend flip his phone closed and shove it back into his pocket aggressively before picking up his cup of green tea.

"I decided to pay the lovely Sakura a surprise afternoon visit at the penthouse; only I was the one who got surprised. I caught her in bed with Neji Hyuuga," replied the large man.

"The master assassin himself? I'm surprised… he's not one to fish from another man's pond," murmured Shino, mild shock in his voice.

"No, he's not but I got the distinct impression that Sakura had been angling to hook him for a while." commented Kiba dryly.

"Well, Neji was off the market permanently when he met and married Tenten three years ago. Neji was never the same when she was killed instantly in that auto accident over a year ago." replied Shino sadly.

Kiba frowned over his cup of green tea at his friend's tone and the reminder that it had been one of the worst investigation cases Shino had been forced to work. It had been a lot harder on the man to remain impartial because the victim had been a dear friend.

_There was a definite downside to being the best in the business…_

"Well, it looks like he's now out of mourning if he's giving Sakura the ride of her life," murmured Kiba sourly, not missing the look of distaste on Shino's face.

"I'm actually surprised that you didn't want to rip the man apart… that's not like you at all, Kiba." replied Shino in a quiet but disbelieving tone as he picked up an almond pastry from the plate.

Kiba scratched the back of his head sheepishly, a devilish grin playing across his firm lips as he concurred, "Yeah… I agree, Shino. It's certainly not like me at all but to tell you the truth… after the shock wore off, I was pretty relieved that Sakura betrayed me the way she did."

"Really? How so?" asked Shino with a frown.

"She saved me from making a huge mistake and also a lot of money by doing what she did… I had been toying with the idea of marrying her for a long time but something always gave me pause about the situation." Replied Kiba lazily as he helped himself to an almond pastry.

Shino smiled inwardly at that comment. Translation: Kiba's infamous Inuzuka sense of self preservation stepped to the forefront and prevented him from doing something stupid.

"Ahhh – I now begin to understand the comment about the lawyer now. You decided to be generous with her, relieved to be getting out of it so cheaply… Did she know that you had been contemplating making your relationship with her permanent?" asked Shino pausing to take a sip of tea and pinning his friend with a long look of consideration.

Kiba grinned wolfishly and replied, "Hell, no… why the hell you think I'm being so generous?"

"It also makes me curious as to why you got me to investigate a woman that is such a polar opposite to Sakura… You were right when you told me that she wasn't your usual type…why her, Kiba?" asked Shino, full of curiosity as he reached down beside him to retrieve the envelope.

Kiba toyed with the empty tea cup between his fingertips, rolling it gently before answering honestly, "I don't know, Shino. There was just something about her… she…fascinated me."

Shino raised an eyebrow at that enlightening disclosure before sliding the envelope over in front of his friend.

"Well, she's certainly that…"

------------------------------------------

Kiba made no attempt to hide his eagerness as he unceremoniously dumped the contents of the manila envelope onto the table.

Shino poured them both fresh cups of green tea as he watched in mild amusement as his childhood friend rifled through the paperwork like a small child on Christmas morning.

He's been pleasantly shocked when he discovered what this young woman looked like… If Sakura was a cherry blossom, then this woman's flower comparison would be a rare hot house orchid. She looked fragile and delicate but he could sense the quiet power she held inside of herself.

"Shino, how the hell did a woman like this survive the cesspit that is the Hyuuga Family without being swallowed whole?" asked Kiba in wonderment, flipping through the photos.

"I'm not exactly sure, Kiba. I do know that I commend her for wanting her own independence, especially given the opposition she would have faced from her father." murmured Shino in admiration.

Kiba hearing his tone, looked up from the stack of the papers then and frowned in disapproval, "Shino, what the hell?!"

Shino chuckled at the censure in his friend's voice and replied, "Kiba, relax… I don't need anyone else when I have your sister in my life. I'm just surprised that you would be attracted to _this _woman, that's all."

"Why do you say that, Shino?" asked Kiba, clearly puzzled.

"This is not a woman you would proposition to be your mistress, Kiba. However, this is the type of woman you would choose to marry and have your children. There is a big difference." murmured Shino.

Kiba leaned back and studied the dossier, thinking hard on his friend's words. He could see why Shino would be perplexed by his sudden interest in the raven haired young woman. Until recently, that was all he had been interested in… a beautiful body to take and hold against his own body whenever the mood took him.

He just didn't know how Shino was going to react if he found out that Kiba had felt his world being tilted on its axis the very moment he had seen her eyes…

Kiba shuffled the paperwork and sighed. No – he wasn't ready to admit to anything yet. He still wasn't sure how he felt about her…it was too early to tell.

"So, what's your next move, Kiba?" asked Shino, interested to hear how his friend was going to handle this situation.

Kiba scooped up the papers and stuffed them back into the envelope before pulling his wallet out and leaving cash for their meal as well as a healthy tip.

Shino continued to sip the last of his tea as he watched Kiba stand up with the packet firmly in his grasp.

"I think I need to go and order some flowers to be delivered, Shino." replied Kiba with a wicked grin on his face before he walked away from the table.

Shino leaned back in the booth and watched in silence as his friend exited the restaurant and disappeared from view.

_Yes – he couldn't wait to tell Hana about this… she'd been waiting a long time for a woman who could come remotely close to taming Kiba… Yes – it was going to interesting._

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Hinata was sweeping in the front part of the busy little florist shop when Ino came bustling in from the office.

"Hina! I just got a order that needs to be delivered today… it's going to the same place as that large floral arrangement we sent out a week ago…" exclaimed the blonde, thrilled at the prospect of repeat business.

The young woman looked up with surprise before she felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She had been trying not to think about that strange delivery and the large striking man but it was difficult when she had the physical reminder of the incident currently scenting her living room with its delicate perfume.

"Can you deliver it, Ino?" asked Hinata shyly, secretly hoping that her best friend and boss would take pity on her.

Ino looked up from the order slip before going over to her friend and looping an arm around her shoulder.

"Hina – I wish I could… but I'm going to have my hands full completing this wedding order. Just wear your glasses and you'll be fine." Replied Ino softly, understanding her friend's reluctance to deliver the arrangement and the reasoning behind it.

Hinata sighed as she watched her friend walk off to the refrigerator to collect flowers for her orders. She finished sweeping the remaining debris into the dustpan, dumping the contents into the garbage bin in the work room.

_It couldn't be helped… her friend depended on her to make the deliveries while she ran the shop. No – she couldn't let Ino down._

Hinata untied her work apron and smoothed her raven hair in place before turning around and softly murmuring, "Ino, I'm ready to go. Where are the arrangement and the delivery slip?"

Ino rushed into the work room with her hands full of roses and baby breath. It was obvious that she was about to work on the boutonnières for the wedding party.

The blonde woman pointed over to the box sitting on the edge of the counter with a piece of paper attached to it. Ino had truly outdone herself this time… the arrangement was simply breathtaking. Hinata couldn't resist reaching out and stroking a petal on one of the sterling roses, secretly admiring how striking the rose was paired with the ivory roses and little sprigs of baby breath and fern fronds dotting the arrangement.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it? The sterling roses weren't cheap for this order but it's what the customer wanted and he's paying for it, after all…" replied Ino with a smile, walking over to admire the bouquet with her friend.

Hinata nodded in response, idly noting how the shade of the roses was a near perfect match to her own eye color. She sighed wistfully and saw Ino give a knowing smile.

They were both thinking the same thing – this was a bouquet for wooing and the recipient was one lucky girl.

Hinata collected the van's keys from the hook and scooped up the delivery before looking over her shoulder and asking, "Ino, is this the only delivery?"

Ino nodded before quickly looking at the clock and replying, "Yes, it is Hina. Why don't you make the delivery and then take the van home with you… You can bring it back in the morning."

Hinata gave her friend a grateful smile before walking out the door. She was about to close the door on the van when she heard her friend's voice drift out, "Hina, drive safely. I will see you early in the morning to make that floral delivery for the Watanabe wedding. Can you pick up some pastries and coffee on the way into work? We can gossip about your delivery while we have breakfast."

Hinata nodded in agreement as she slid into the driver's seat of the van, waving happily to her friend as she started the van and drove away.

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Hinata smiled softly as she skillfully negotiated the van through the late afternoon downtown traffic. She remembered the last time she had made a delivery at the same address and had been initially reluctant to tell her friend about the man's reaction when he had received the arrangement.

Ino had laughed when she had confessed that the man had given her the floral arrangement that he clearly didn't want.

"Hmm, I'm relieved to hear that he didn't throw it away after reading that note I had to attach to the flowers."

Hinata had frowned slightly at her friend's comment, also remembering the man's aggressive tone and asked, "Why? What was on it?"

Ino shook her blonde head in disgust and replied, "Please forgive me…I don't know what I was thinking - Sakura."

Hinata's eyes went round as saucers in shock.

"She wrote that?! No wonder he was pissed!" whispered the raven haired woman.

Ino folded her arms and shook her head, "No, I wrote it while she dictated it over the phone… honestly, if you get caught screwing around on your lover, the least you could do would be to come in and pick out the flowers yourself. At least make the effort to show you are the least bit remorseful."

"She was seeing someone else behind his back? How could you tell?" asked Hinata in embarrassment.

"Hina, I have done more than my fair share of 'I'm sorry that I royally screwed up this time' bouquets to know…" replied Ino slyly.

_It was hard to believe a woman would want to cheat on a man like that…_

"He was pretty handsome, huh?" murmured Ino watching her friend going bright red.

"Yes… he was, strikingly so…" whispered out Hinata in a hush, feeling her face burning scarlet from the confession.

"Well, he was also a nice guy. He sent a thank you card with a generous tip for the delivery." replied Ino, opening a drawer and sliding the card over to her friend.

"Oh… Ino. I can't keep all of this… half of this is yours…that's what we agreed upon." murmured Hinata, aghast at the amount sitting with the card.

Ino chuckled and gently said, "Hina…I haven't forgotten our agreement… that _is_ half the tip."

Yes, the man was certainly handsome, articulate and not hurting financially but Hinata didn't feel it would do her a world of good thinking about a man like that.

A man like that would eat her alive. She just wasn't his type anyway. Men like him just weren't attracted to wall flowers like herself.

Hinata smiled softly as she finally found a parking spot directly across from the familiar building.

_Maybe it was just as well that she was so shy. She had nothing to offer a man like that…_

--------------------------------------------

Hinata had a strange sense of déjà vu. She walked into the foyer with the discreetly hidden security cameras and waited for the elevators to do their slow descent to the ground floor.

She was thankful that the floral arrangement she was delivering was a lot lighter than the previous one she was sent to deliver.

Hinata blushed remembering the man walking into the elevator with the large heavy vase. She had noted that he had removed his jacket and folded back the sleeves on his fine shirt. The young woman had kept darting her eyes over at the powerful muscles in his arms flexing occasionally as he shifted the bouquet.

_And now she found herself making another delivery to the same man…_

Hinata pushed the glasses firmly onto her nose and couldn't help but think that the gods were indeed playing a cruel joke on her.

The elevator's door swiftly and silently opened and the young woman gratefully stepped into the cavernous interior, grateful to know that she would be making a swift exit directly back to her cozy little apartment.

Hinata just wished that she could stop her heart from beating so wildly at the thought of seeing the wild untamed looking man again.

She couldn't forget the way he had looked at her when he had helped her up from the floor. It had scared her and yet, she felt for the first time in her life, desirable.

Hinata looked up at the number display above the elevator door, watching it slowly climb higher and higher. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. There was no way she was going to walk into that office and let him know that he had made quite an impression on her.

There was just no way that a man like Kiba Inuzuka would ever be remotely interested in a shy little mouse like her.

The elevator finally slowed down as it reached the top floor and the doors opened.

"This is it, Hinata… just go in there, deliver the flowers and walk out. You can do this." muttered the raven haired woman to herself in encouragement.

She bravely stepped out of the elevator and walked down the corridor, only to slow down at the sight of the large man in the white shaggy coat and dark glasses standing watch in front of the door she needed to enter.

---------------------------------------

Kiba looked up in surprise when he heard the squeak of a feminine voice outside the door. He could clearly hear Akamaru's gruff voice as he asked the visitor to state their business, only to hear the same female voice murmur "flowers".

_Shit! He'd totally forgotten about telling Akamaru to go home early today… The man was a gruff teddy bear under the hard exterior but he was an excellent bodyguard._

"Akamaru, who is it?" asked Kiba, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration.

He was hoping that it wasn't the young woman from the florist shop. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the woman away… especially now.

"It's a Hinata with a floral delivery. Should I send her in, Mister Inuzuka?" replied a gruff voice from the other side of the door.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

"Yes thanks, Akamaru. Why don't you show our visitor in and then go home? I will see you in the morning at the usual time," called out the large man with the tribal tattoos.

The door opened then and a very embarrassed Hinata walked through the door, clutching a floral arrangement. Kiba noticed that the raven haired woman kept shooting his bodyguard little daggers through her glasses and knew immediately the cause of her small flare of temper at the man.

"Akamaru would be a very poor excuse for personal security if he didn't check you for concealed weapons." grinned Kiba, his tattoos slashing sharply down his lean cheekbones.

He was trying hard not to laugh at the woman scowling at him but it was difficult.

She was still mad at his bodyguard for patting her down.

Kiba nodded with a smile as he watched Akamaru give a small wave and turn to leave.

Hinata vaguely heard the soft click of the door closing behind her as she continued to glare at the man in front of her.

_She didn't care how handsome he was… he seemed to find her embarrassment amusing!_

The raven haired woman squared her shoulders and stalked over to the desk, placing the delivery in front of the infuriating man.

"Sign the delivery slip please, Mister Inuzuka," hissed the small woman softly.

Kiba grinned evilly as he bent his head down to sign the piece of paper she all but shoved into his face.

She certainly had a lot of fire hidden inside of her… it was very unexpected and it delighted him no end.

He looked up then and saw that she was looking a little calmer as he handed her back the signed delivery slip.

He wasn't surprised. She was probably feeling calmer because she'd soon be able to leave this room and his presence.

Kiba watched her turn to leave and quietly murmured, "Oh, Hinata? Aren't you going to take your flowers?"

He leaned back in his chair and look on in amusement to see the young woman freeze in shock before asking softly, "You bought those flowers for me?"

She turned slowly around and watched as Kiba reached up to stroke a petal on one of the sterling roses with a lean finger.

"Yes. Do you like them? I thought the combination was quite striking and it made me think of your eyes." replied the large man with a soft growl, glancing up and pinning the raven haired woman with a hungry look.

Hinata swallowed at the heated gaze this man was giving her before replying, "Yes, they're very beautiful… but I don't understand why someone like you would be wasting your money buying flowers for someone like me."

She watched the surprised delight flare in the man's dark smoldering eyes and was secretly relieved that the man wasn't offended by her question.

It amazed the hell out of him that this woman had no idea how fascinating he found her…

Kiba watched her intently as he replied, "Would it surprise you to know that I find you attractive?"

He watched her fumble with her large glasses before pulling them off to gaze at him with those gorgeous eyes of hers.

Kiba could clearly see the uncertainly hidden in the depths of her eyes and decided to press home his advantage.

He leaned forward and murmured, "Why don't you let me take you out to dinner next Friday evening and I will show you just how attractive I find you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**

This is the raw chapter and like all things in life, is subject to revision at a later date.

Wow. I would never have guessed in a million years that my version of Kiba and Hinata would be this well received.

Thanks for your patience – my computer had to be fixed and as a result there was a big delay in the writing and posting of new chapters for stories.

I will try to post new chapters in a timely manner but with five different multi-chapter stories being updated regularly to keep up with the demand, there are going to be times when I may need a mental whack via PM to get my creative juices flowing.

I'm not going to bite your head off for wanting to know when I plan to post the next chapter.

If anything, I am inspired to try and update sooner because you, the reader, care enough about the story to send a PM in the first place.

I actually enjoy hearing from the readership but please consider sending a PM or logging into your account to review if you have a question that needs a reply because I can't answer it if you ask via an anonymous review.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

**Special Reader Challenge!**

I have been asked by one of my regular reviewers, **Lostsoulofregret**, if I plan to pair Ino with anyone but she would prefer to see her happy with someone other than Shikamaru.

I do plan on Ino finding a special someone but I have decided to let the readership have input on who the lucky man will be.

So, send me a PM or alternatively, put your pick of who the lucky man should be on the bottom of your review with a short explanation as to why you feel your choice would be perfect for Ino.

Remember – you can't suggest Shikamaru. Also - Shino is in a committed relationship with Hana and Kiba has started to pursue Hinata so they are obviously not up for consideration but if you folks are itching to see Ino steal Neji away from Sakura…well, that can be arranged. XD

Have fun and be creative…

The winning suggestion or suggestions will have the Ino pairing chapter (which will be chapter 5), dedicated to them. Good luck!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the characters. Let me get back to my little obsession, already!

**It's a Date**

Ino smiled broadly when she heard the van drive into the back parking lot and walked over to open the back door to greet her friend.

"Hina, do you need help with the coffee and pastries?" asked Ino from the open door, idly noting that her raven haired friend looked a little ragged around the edges this morning.

Hinata pushed a stray lock of black hair and gave Ino a grateful smile as she nodded, "If you can grab the bag with the pastries in it… that would be a huge help."

Ino could see the dark circles under her friend's pale eyes and was a little worried. She certainly didn't look like she had slept too well last night and the blonde was now more than a little curious to know why.

Ino trailed behind her friend, following her up the back stairs and into the workroom, watching Hinata carefully put the coffee on the work space before stashing her handbag into a nearby cupboard.

"Hina, are you okay? You look like you haven't slept a wink." asked Ino putting a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder before walking over to a cupboard to pull a couple of plates and napkins.

The raven haired woman carefully removed the coffees from their carrying tray and handed one to Ino with a soft smile.

The blonde slid the pastry over to her friend, watching her in mute silence as the young woman instinctively reached for the napkin and decimated it between her fingers.

Ino sighed before asking, "Okay, Hina…. What's on your mind? It's been a while since you've been this nervous."

"Uh, Ino… what do you normally wear on a date?" murmured Hinata turning beet red.

The blonde almost choked on her Danish as she slowly digested it and her friend's question.

_Ohhhh. Poor Hina – no wonder she was a mess this morning… _

Ino now had a good idea of what was bothering her raven haired companion…

She swallowed the piece of Danish before replying, "Um, it depends on where the date is, Hina. Where does this guy want to take you?"

Hinata picked up another napkin and started shredding it before softly replying, "He wants to take me to dinner, Ino."

She took a sip of her coffee and replied soothingly, "Dinner sounds wonderful, Hina... did he mention when and where he was taking you for dinner?"

Ino took another sip of her coffee and almost choked again when she heard, "He's wants to take me to Bouchon on Friday night. He offered to pick me up from work at 6 pm. Do you know if it's a good restaurant, Ino?"

_One of the best, Hina…_

Ino sighed inwardly and reached over to stop her friend from grabbing another napkin to tear up.

"Hina, relax…it's going to be fine. You are going to need to dress up in a cocktail dress for where this guy is taking you though… why don't we hit the mall after work tonight and I'll help you find something nice to wear, okay?" sighed Ino in relief as she saw her friend starting to relax.

"In the meantime though, we should probably start getting ready for the Watanabe Wedding. Hina, why don't you start loading the flowers in the cold store room while I finish packing up the boutonnières?" asked Ino with a smile.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that this date of Hina's was somehow directly related to last night's delivery. Ino privately made a promise to herself to go and have a chat with this "Kiba Inuzuka" during the week. She didn't give a shit how handsome the bastard was… she still didn't want to see her friend getting her heart stomped all over by some insensitive rich business man. Hina deserved a lot better than that...

_Yes – Kiba Inuzuka was going to get a visit from a well meaning blonde florist friend…whether he liked it or not!_

----------------------------------

Hinata drove the delivery van back to the florist shop as Ino kept a steady running commentary of the juicy society tidbits she heard while they were setting up the flowers.

The blonde continued to gossip outrageously as she watched her friend deftly maneuver the large delivery van down the road and turn onto their street. Ino was secretly glad that she had managed to persuade the young woman to come and work for her. After her last little fender bender episode, the blonde had been close to tears when Hinata had decided to drop in and pay her a visit. It had turned out that her raven-haired friend had been in the area actively job hunting. Hinata had confessed to Ino in the privacy of the work room that while having a large trust account was nice, she yearned to know what it was like to be out in the 'real' world earning a living but so far, she hadn't had any success in finding work that didn't require her to lie flat on her back.

Ino had been disgusted to hear some sleazebag had actually made that awful comment to Hina and had offered to look over her friend's resume to see if she could make any changes to improve the young woman's chance of getting a decent job.

It was then that she had discovered that her raven haired friend had the necessary qualifications to drive a delivery van. Hinata had confessed that the nuns at the little private school they had attended helped the young woman to earn her license without her family finding out. The raven haired woman had reasoned at the time that the least she could have done to show the nuns her gratitude was to get the additional qualifications to learn to drive the small excursion bus. Ino wasn't surprised by her friend's little revelation at all… it was just the way Hina was.

So, it had been in that rare moment of clarity that the blonde realized that she and her friend could come to an arrangement that was mutually beneficial to both parties.

Ino's shop was successful but she was losing money every time she had to close up to make deliveries and she couldn't afford to take on another person full-time. Hinata didn't need the money but she yearned for the independence that a job could give her.

It had turned out to be a win-win situation for both women.

Ino watched as her friend brought the van to a stop and engaged the park brake. She looked at her watch before turning to grin at her raven haired friend.

They had made excellent time setting up and there was still time for more coffee and gossip before they had to open for the day.

"Hina, we still have time for another cup of coffee. How about you put on the kettle while I start moving the flowers from the cold room to the display refrigerator?" asked Ino, following her friend up the back stairs.

Hinata opened the door and walked over to the kettle, filling it as her friend dropped her handbag on the counter. She could hear Ino moving around the cold room muttering under her breath and the sounds of flower buckets being shifted.

Hinata smiled as she heard the blonde grumble about having to sell a lung to afford the prices at the flower market and pulled two cups from the cupboard.

Ino popped her head into the small kitchen, her arms full of flower buckets and asked, "Hina, are you up for a trip to the flower market with me tomorrow morning? You know I hate driving that van and I could really appreciate your company while I deal with those blood suckers. I'll even spring for breakfast…"

The raven haired woman smiled at her friend's hopeful look and nodded her agreement before Ino disappeared back into the front of the flower shop.

_Yes – a trip to the flower markets on a Sunday morning sounded like a great way to start the day._

Hinata walked over to the work table and placed the cups of coffee onto the table as Ino bustled back to the cold room.

She was settling into her chair, flipping through one of the floristry catalogues when the blonde finally slid into a seat and said, "Okay, we have time… why don't you tell me about this guy?"

-----------------------------------------------

Hinata blushed at her friend's curiosity.

"Hina, this guy must have made quite the impression on you to make you agree to go on a date…" murmured the blonde.

Hinata looked down at her fingers, almost tempted to push the pointer fingers together, a nervous habit she swore she broke herself of years ago…

Ino placed her hand on top of her friend's nervous hands and murmured softly, "He also must be pretty special for you to get this nervous, Hina…"

The young woman looked up, blushing brightly before softly replying, "Yeah…he's quite attractive, Ino but I think he's way out of my league…"

Ino laughed throatily and said, "Hina…he obviously doesn't think so if he's asking you out on a date."

Hinata looked down at their joined hands for a moment before nodding in ascent.

_Her friend was right…she didn't have a lot of experience in this area but men didn't ask you out if they weren't interested…_

"Hina…just go and have fun… stop worrying." murmured Ino.

"Have…fun?" asked Hinata in wonderment.

"Yes, Hina…fun. Something you sorely need to discover… maybe this man will be the one to show you what fun is…" replied Ino sagely.

The phone started ringing in the main shop area then and the blonde sighed when she heard the sound.

"Well, I guess it's time to get to work… why don't you give some thought as to where you want to go to shop for a dress and we'll head over there after work, okay?" said Ino removing her hand and pushing away from the work table.

Hinata sat there for a moment sipping the remainder of her instant coffee before joining Ino out front.

_Just have fun… yes, she could see herself having fun with this man… she could also see herself falling for his charm quite easily too._

-----------------------------------

Akamaru opened the front door of the restaurant, scanning the interior with his sharp eyes before finally stepping aside to allow his boss to enter.

"Inuzuka! I'm so glad that you finally decided to take me up on my brunch offer! Come in…come in!" called out a jovial voice from a booth in the back of the restaurant.

Kiba smiled broadly as he strolled through the building in Akamaru's wake.

The large tattooed man watched in amusement as the obviously delighted occupant of the booth struggled to move his weight before finally successfully standing near the table to wait for his visitor.

Kiba and the owner of the restaurant bowed respectfully to each other before picking up each other in a bear hug.

"Kiba Inuzuka! It's always a pleasure to have you in my restaurants! How has life been treating you?" murmured the large stocky man before him.

Kiba watched with a small smile on his face as the man squeezed himself back into the booth before gesturing for Kiba and Akamaru to join him.

"Akimichi, I can't complain but you should really think about investing in larger booths… these things barely fit me and Akamaru… let alone your solid frame…" replied Kiba with a grin.

"Hehe…you have a good point, Inuzuka and it's a sound suggestion." countered the Akimichi Clan Leader as the waitress arrived with the green tea and the first course.

Kiba grinned knowingly at his bodyguard's small movement as he leaned forward in interest while the waitress placed the appetizers on the table before leaving the men to talk.

While Akamaru took his profession seriously, he had a soft spot for the epicurean delights of the Akimichi Bar-B-Cue Restaurants. He personally couldn't blame him, the food and service was far superior to any other restaurant of this style in business at present.

"Ha ha… I see your bodyguard enjoys the pot stickers, Inuzuka…" replied a delighted voice from across the table.

"Please, let us dispense with the formalities… it's Kiba." returned the powerful man with a toothy grin before replying, "Yes, Akamaru has a soft spot for your food…"

The stocky man's eyes widened before nodding sagely, "Your bodyguard has excellent taste… he's fortunate that he has a caring employer."

Kiba raised an eyebrow at that astute comment. It seemed he had underestimated the other clan leader's thought processes and he had quickly figured out the reasoning behind the Inuzuka Family's timely intervention in the 'acquisition talks'.

_Hmmmph – Acquisition his ass… The Hyuuga family had been intent on eliminating the smaller competition in the most expedient way possible. Well, the Akimichi was correct in his summation for part of the reasoning – at any rate…_

Akamaru gave a small grunt before stuffing another pot sticker into his mouth and chewing the tasty morsel with a smile.

"Akamaru is a loyal employee… I was happy to do what I could to ensure his happiness." countered Kiba smoothly.

"The beautiful Sakura didn't accompany you this time?" asked the man with the spiral clan tattoos on his face with a small look of interest.

_Ahh… yes… Sakura had been present at that meeting… it had totally slipped his mind… had she caught the powerful Neji Hyuuga's eye then?_

"Ahhh, no… Sakura and I are no longer seeing each other, Akimichi." returned Kiba with a wry smile.

"Please, call me Choji… it only seems right if you insist on me calling you by your first name…ah well, it's a shame – she was certainly a fair blossom to gaze upon, that one." replied the stocky business man with a small shrug before continuing, "So, does that mean we will see you at the tracks this Friday evening?"

"I'm afraid not, Choji…I have made other plans… but I'm sure the other families will survive just fine without my presence." replied Kiba with a grin.

"Maybe it's just as well… the Hyuuga were none too pleased with your interference at the buyout." murmured Choji before raising his arm to signal their readiness for the next course.

"Speaking of which…" replied the larger man with the triangular tattoos, taking a sip of the green tea before continuing, "Your business interests are still vulnerable to another takeover bid, therefore I have a couple of suggestions to put to you before we involve the lawyers…"

The Akimichi Clan Leader grinned widely and responded in a congenial tone, "By all means, let's discuss them after lunch… I imagine you're hungry, eh Akamaru?"

The burly bodyguard nodded in agreement as the main course arrived and his employer tried hard to hold back his grin at his friend's obvious enthusiasm.

_Yes, business could wait…_

-------------------------------

"No, I don't think so, Hina! No wonder you were left alone at those stodgy family events you used to attend," exclaimed Ino, rushing over to snatch the matronly eye-sore out of her friend's hand before she did something unforgivable…like purchase it.

_Yeah – that's an excellent way to scare the man off, Hina!_

"Hina, I know you don't like to show too much skin but we can still find you something pretty without resorting to these _sacks_!" murmured the blonde in disgust, removing the offensive dress out of Hinata's hands and replacing back on the rack.

Ino looked around the store with a practiced eye before walking over to pluck a dress from another display.

The blonde looked up in shock as another hand closed around the coat hanger of the dress that had caught her eye.

"The dress is mine…I saw it first." replied the pink haired woman in an artic voice that brooked no argument.

Ino's blue eyes narrowed as she took in the ravishing beauty with the unusual hair coloring, before murmuring coolly, "Is that so? I'm sure someone with your…coloring, would prefer something a little more…flashier?"

"How dare you?! What's that supposed to mean?" fumed the other woman, not liking at all what the blonde virago was implying.

Ino felt someone tug at her elbow and she turned to see her friend looking ill at ease.

"Please, Ino… just let the woman have the dress… we can find something suitable…else where," murmured Hinata.

The blonde shot her companion a brief look of concern, wondering what the hell was wrong with Hina… the only time she looked like that was…

"Hello, Hinata… I'm surprised to see you out in the malls. I thought these kinds of places made you…nervous," said a low masculine voice, smooth as silk.

"Hello, Neji… it's been a while, hasn't it?" replied Ino, suddenly understanding the problem.

"Yes… a few months in fact. I believe the last time was at your charming little flower shop when you threatened to call the police if I didn't leave." responded the tall man with the silvery eyes.

"Well, you would come into my shop and try to be an ass… you were causing a scene and that's bad for business," countered the blonde woman with a hiss.

Neji shrugged and replied, "It was a mistake and I did say I was sorry after I had calmed down …"

Ino continued to look at the tall Hyuuga, not quite trusting him while he directed his attention to the petite woman in the over-sized glasses.

"Hinata, you're looking well these days… I take it you've been doing fine on your own?" murmured the man in a gentle tone.

"Neji, do you know these two?" broke in a horrified female voice.

He sighed softly and gestured to the two women standing at the clothing racks.

"I apologize for not introducing you sooner, Sakura. The woman in the large sunglasses is my cousin Hinata and the feisty blonde is her best friend, Ino." said Neji soothingly before adding, "Ino and Hinata, I would like to introduce you to my new girlfriend, Sakura Haruno."

Hinata felt her blonde companion stiffen at the introductions and heard Ino murmur, "Neji, I hate to be rude but Hinata and I have to get going here… we've still got a few errands to run before the mall closes for the evening."

The black-haired woman frowned behind her glasses a little perplexed by Ino's comment.

_She wasn't aware of any pressing errands that needed to be taken care of…_

The Hyuuga male bowed slightly before smoothly replying, "I understand Ino… I was wondering if it would be amenable to you for me to drop in to see Hinata sometime next week at the shop."

The blonde gave Neji a long look of consideration and nodded her ascent.

"I don't see there being a problem as long as you act civilly in my place of business and not be a jerk like last time." said Ino with her eyebrow arched.

The tall man gave a wry smile at the woman's comment and returned her nod with one of his own.

Hinata managed to get a quick farewell out as Ino grabbed her hand, whisking her out of the store while waving goodbye to the couple still standing at the clothes rack.

Sakura looked at the man standing next to her and asked, "Neji, did I miss something?"

Neji smiled and shook his head slightly before murmuring, "No, Sakura… that's just the way Ino is… I wouldn't worry about it."

The pink-haired woman nodded thoughtfully at his reply and shrugged as she picked up the dress from the rack, dismissing the blonde's strange behavior as trivial.

"So, Neji… what do you think about this dress?" murmured Sakura.

-----------------------------------

"Ino, slow down…. What's going on?" exclaimed Hinata softly.

"Hina, I'll explain later… in the meantime, let's go in here… I think we'll have better luck at finding you a dress in here," muttered the blonde, dragging her petite friend behind her into a small designer boutique.

Hinata didn't have a chance to ask her friend any more questions as Ino was joined by the helpful sales woman and they began to openly discuss what styles would be better suited for her petite frame.

Ino pushed her over to the dressing rooms and opened up the door of one of the little stalls.

"You go in there and get undressed… we'll find you a dress that's guaranteed to turn his head." murmured Ino with a smile before closing the door.

The blonde walked over to the sales woman looking over the selections in her hand and quietly murmured, "These aren't right…do you have something in a classic style with some type of sleeve? She's not going to go for a sleeveless dress…"

The woman put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment before replying, "Well, I do have one dress in her size that fits the description with little cap sleeves but….its not in black."

Ino raised an eyebrow as she watched the woman walk into the back room and come back with a wardrobe bag.

The blonde waited as the saleswoman carefully pulled down the zipper of the bag and pulled the dress out of its confines.

"What do you think? I know it's not the color you requested but it will be stunning with her looks." murmured the woman draping the frock over one arm lovingly.

"Oh….my. You're right…it's gorgeous!" replied Ino in awe.

The saleswoman and the blonde walked over to the dressing rooms with the pretty little cocktail dress.

"Hina, why don't you try this on…I think it will be perfect…" said Ino with a sly smile as her new co-conspirator slid the dress through the little gap in the door.

She heard Hinata give a gasp in shock before she heard the slither of the dress being pulled on.

"Why don't you come out here and I'll zip you up. You can look at it in the full length mirror out here."

The petite woman hesitantly came out of the dressing room and stood still while her friend pulled the zip up.

Hinata stared in shocked disbelief at the woman in the mirror. She missed the knowing looks Ino and the sales woman exchanged as the dark haired woman continued to gaze in wonder at the beautiful dress she was wearing.

_It was perfect…but why couldn't it be something that was more suitable for blending into the background? There was no way she was going to be viewed as a wallflower in **this** color…_

"Well, what do you think?" asked Ino softly.

"It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen…" sighed Hinata wistfully then softly added, "but I am not sure about this shade…"

"Hina, trust me… that man is going to be bowled over completely when he sees you in this dress…" replied Ino with a naughty grin.

_Hinata did want to make an impression on Kiba and this dress will certainly achieve the desired affect._

"I'll take it," whispered the dark haired woman.

-----------------------------

_Two Days later…_

Kiba heard the raised voices outside his office door and looked up with a frown.

"No, I don't have an appointment but I am damned sure that he will see me." huffed a female voice.

He sighed in frustration and dragged a hand through his hair before calling out, "Akamaru, who the hell is it and what does she want?"

_Shit! He didn't have time for this! He was up to his eyeballs signing contracts right now…_

"She says that she's the owner of a florist shop that recently did business with you and she has something she wishes to discuss…in private," growled out the bodyguard.

Kiba raised his head up in surprise and suddenly felt alert, his frustration momentarily forgotten.

_So, the friend had come to pay him a visit… interesting._

He grinned evilly and replied, "Fine. Don't forget to check her for weapons before you let her in…"

"Weapons?! What the hell?! …Hey! Watch where you put that hand of yours or you'll lose it!" growled the same female voice before the door opened with a jerk.

Kiba watched in interest as various emotions flickered across her facial features before she narrowed her glacial blues eyes on him.

"You wanted to see me?" asked the large man with the clan tattoos on his cheeks, watching her with those dark smoky eyes of his.

_Oh Kami! **This** was the man taking her shy friend out on Friday night?!_

_Hinata was right… He was certainly handsome in an unconventional sense… poor Hina never stood a chance but **she** wasn't about to be distracted by his charms or good looks._

Ino stalked over to the man's desk, placed her palms face down on the surface and glared at him balefully.

"You better treat Hinata with the respect she deserves, mister… or you'll be getting another visit from me in the very near future," growled the diminutive blonde and added in a low hiss, "You better not break her heart either…because there will be no place on this earth that will hide you from my wrath. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal…" murmured Kiba with a smirk as the woman stood up, turned around and stalked back out the office door.

The door rattled on its hinges as the blonde slammed the door behind her and he could hear her give Akamaru a piece of her mind.

"Don't you dare touch me again or I will show some creative places where I can plant my foot on your sorry hide."

_Hinata's friend was a force to be reckoned with…_

He'd just been threatened with bodily harm by a blonde haired slip of a woman but strangely, he wasn't upset.

Kiba leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head, staring at the door in amusement.

_Yes – It was only Monday and already he couldn't wait for Friday to arrive!_

----------------------------------------------

_Friday_

The day was finally here and Hinata was feeling the butterflies flapping madly in her stomach as the big date approached.

_She – who never dated, had agreed to go out on a date with a man who pretty much oozed raw sexuality… Oh Kami…_

_Just have fun…_ _yes, easy for Ino to say…_

The dark haired woman frowned slightly as she thought of her friend. Ino had been acting a little…odd since they had run into Neji and his new girlfriend.

She couldn't put her finger on it what had happened but the blonde had been reluctant to discuss it… another rarity.

She had tried to broach the subject of her friend's odd behavior when they had met the next day to go to the flower market, only for Ino to abruptly change the topic. It was clear to the dark-haired woman something about Neji's new girlfriend bothered her childhood friend greatly, so she decided to let the matter drop for the moment. Ino would talk about it when she was ready and not before then.

Hinata had noticed though that her friend was determined to make sure she was going to look her best for this date and she was secretly relieved to have her dear friend's help.

She refused to dwell on what she would have looked like if Ino hadn't taken an active role in the preparations.

The young woman parked the van in the parking lot behind the shop and took a deep breath.

Ino had told her to take the van home last night, so she could just pile everything she needed in and get ready at the shop, rather than trying to dress for this date on her own. Personally, the silver-eyed woman didn't have a problem with that suggestion. She needed all the assistance she could get!

Hinata opened the door of the delivery van and hopped out.

"Did you bring everything, Hina?" called out a soft voice.

The dark haired woman looked up to see the blonde woman standing in the doorway.

She nodded with a small smile before replying, "Yes, everything we bought this week is in here. Can you help me unload the van, Ino?"

Ino held back a grin as she skipped down the stairs and reached the van. She got there just in time to see the expression on Hinata's face as she reverently removed the garment bag from the van.

_Yes – Hina was definitely going to bring that wild looking man to his knees and she could hardly wait to see his reaction this evening…_

The blonde had been surprised beyond words when she had stormed into that office and saw that man for the first time.

Ino liked Neji well enough but she still couldn't figure out why a woman like the pink bombshell would cheat when she had a man like the one she had encountered in that room… It quite frankly didn't make any sense to her.

_Hell – some folks really don't appreciate what they have until it's gone…_

She knew Hinata was curious about her reaction the other day when they had run into Neji and his new girlfriend... although mistress was probably the more correct term for the woman's role in the man's life. Neji hadn't been kidding _her_ one little bit and at the mention of the woman's full name, she had quickly figured out that until recently, the pink haired woman had been involved with the man who was taking her dear friend out this evening.

Yes, she knew Hina had questions and was curious but she wasn't comfortable with voicing her concerns until she met Hina's date.

Now she had met the powerful man, she was satisfied that he would treat her friend with respect. Only time will tell... and a first date was a promising start...

Ino gave a small smile as she followed her friend up the stairs and watched Hina in amusement as she hung up the garment bag with a wistful sigh.

The blonde placed the overnight bag onto the workshop and table before heading into the compact kitchen to fill the kettle.

"Tea or coffee this morning, Hina?" asked Ino as she plugged the kettle in and looked at her dark haired friend now standing in the doorway.

"Um... how many deliveries are on the books for today?" replied Hinata with a small frown.

"We've got ten confirmed deliveries but I know that we'll probably get some call-ins today... it's going to be a full day so I'm thinking you may want the coffee..." said the blonde woman with a grin.

Ino then noticed that her friend had a large velvet flat case in one of her hands and casually raised a blonde eyebrow in question.

"Coffee sounds great...I'm not complaining about being kept busy... especially today," replied the dark haired woman before hesitantly asking, "Ino, could you put this into your safe until this evening... I'd feel more comfortable if it wasn't sitting in my overnight bag all day."

"Sure, Hina... why don't you give it to me and I will put into the safe now..." murmured the blonde woman softly, taking the velvet case before walking out of the room.

Ino came back in the kitchen a short while later and was greeted by the sight of Hinata with two steaming mugs of coffee in her small hands.

"You better drink up, Ino..." laughed Hinata softly handing the coffee cup to her friend and added, "I've a feeling that it's going to be a busy day for the two of us."

---- ---- ----- -----

The day had turned out to be a lot busier than either woman had initially been expecting.

Ino sighed softly to herself as she put the finishing touches to another outgoing delivery before carefully putting the vase into the waiting box.

The blonde placed the white carton on the counter next to the rest of the deliveries waiting to be picked by Hinata.

She rubbed the small of her back as she walked into the kitchen to put the kettle back on to make herself another cup of caffeine.

_That's it... I'm definitely buying a coffee percolator this weekend..._

Ino mentally went through the list of how many more arrangements she needed to work on, before she finally remembered the _special order_ she received during the week.

"Ino, I'm back! How are you holding up?" called out a familiar voice as Hinata walked through the back door.

The blonde picked up her fresh cup of coffee and sighed, "I'm still hanging in there but there are days I wish I had some one waiting at home to give me a back rub!"

Hinata nodded sympathetically and asked, "Do you want me to pick up some sandwiches from that little deli on my way back from this last round of deliveries?"

Ino smiled and replied, "Hina that would be wonderful! I really wasn't looking forward to skipping lunch."

Hinata's silver eyes scanned the counter in mild dismay and sighed, "How many more deliveries are going out today, Ino?"

The blonde grinned and replied, "It looks like we have one more delivery run for the day... then we need to get you ready for your big date..."

Hinata paused in the middle of picking up a floral arrangement and could feel the panic take hold at the mention of _that_ word.

The young woman's hands tightened on the carton as her friend walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before quietly murmuring, "Hina, it will be okay... but if he turns out to be an A Class jerk, you can always tell him to kiss off, get into a taxi and go home..."

Hinata chuckled at her friend's sage advice and smiled, "Ino, you are bad... you make it sound so easy..."

Ino grinned and replied, "Hina, it _is _easy... you have more power than you give yourself credit... I guarantee that you are going to own the evening the way you will be looking... there's no way he's going to resist you!"

The dark haired woman shrugged absently and walked over to the pick the first arrangement to load up into the van.

_She just wished she had that much confidence in herself as her friend obviously did..._

-------- ------------- -------------

Hinata trudged through the back door after completing the last deliveries of the day, only to be greeted by the resolute face of her employer and dear friend, pointing to the tiny bathroom, with her overnight bag and a towel over one arm.

"Hina, you need to hop in the shower. We don't have a lot of time to get ready and he'll be here soon." murmured the blonde woman, pushing her friend into the bathroom.

"Ino, what about these deliveries slips... I need to still log them in..." began Hinata, trying to delay a little longer.

Ino gave her a calculated look and held out her hand before replying with a small smile, "Hina, I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work... give me those receipts and I will take care of them tonight. You need to get ready, young woman!"

Hinata knew when she was out-maneuvered and handed over the small pouch containing the delivery slips. She collected the overnight bag and towel from her friend, giving her a disgruntled look before disappearing into the bathroom.

Ino looked at the closed door in mild amusement, dropping the pouch off into her tiny office before getting everything ready in the work room.

Ino grinned evilly to herself, surveying the makeup and other items she needed for the next stage of getting Hina ready...

She'd been waiting a long time for this day to arrive and she wasn't about to let her friend deprive her of the full experience...

_Yes, that man was certainly going to have his hands full this evening trying to keep other guys from checking out Hina..._

----------- -------------- ---------------

"Ino, that stings..." murmured the dark haired woman, blinking her silver eyes owlishly.

"Relax, Hina... the eyeliner and mascara will help to bring out your gorgeous eyes… you'll be fine after a few minutes..." replied the blonde soothingly, before adding the finishing touches to her friend's make-up.

"Can I look yet, Ino," asked Hinata, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Not yet, Hina... You need to finish getting dressed while I go and get a couple of things from the office... remember, no peeking, Hina!" admonished the blonde softly before leaving the young woman to collect her garment bag and retreating back into the safety of the bathroom.

Ino came back into the little workshop area to hear the door of the bathroom softly close behind her friend.

_She couldn't wait to see the look on Hina's face when she finally looked at herself... she was secretly hoping that the shock wasn't going to be too overwhelming for the dark-haired woman..._

She placed the plainly wrapped package on the workshop table next to the velvet box and slid her finger idly over the case, waiting for Hina to emerge from the bathroom.

She heard the soft clicking of heels on the linoleum and whipped her blonde head around to see the vision of her friend hesitantly standing in the doorway to the work room.

"Hina, you look gorgeous... that dress...looks amazing." said Ino in awe.

They heard a gentle yet firm rap on the door and both women look at each other in shock.

"Oh, Shit! He's here early... Hina, you stay here and finish getting ready... I'll stall tall, dark, wild and dangerous out there." replied Ino with an evil grin.

Hinata stood staring at the two items on the table as she heard her friend walk over to the front door and let her date in...

_Was it too late for her to fake a sore throat? No, Ino wouldn't allow her to slip out of this so easily..._

"Hina, are you okay in there?" called out the very woman in her thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine... I'll be there shortly," murmured the dark haired woman softly and sighed to herself, opening the velvet case.

_It wouldn't do to keep her date waiting too long..._

-------------------- ---------------------------

Kiba watched in mild amusement as the blonde frowned at him through the glass paned door before reluctantly opening it to allow him entrance into the little flower shop.

"She's still getting ready..." said the young woman before calling out, "Hina, are you okay in there?"

He heard his date reply in that sultry sweet voice of hers, "Yes, I'm fine... I'll be there shortly."

Kiba paced around the shop while he waited for Hinata to emerge from the back room, stopping every so often to admire one of the arrangements.

"You're early..." grouched Ino in an undertone.

The large man turned and gave a wolfish grin at the woman's tone before replying, "It wouldn't do to keep my date waiting..."

Ino gave the man another scowl before she slipped a hand under the counter and pulled out a plastic box.

"Before she comes out, here's that item you requested..." murmured Ino softly before pushing the box across the counter and in front of the large, elegant man in the expensive Italian suit.

The blonde and the man both looked up suddenly when they heard a soft gasp come from the back room.

"Ino... I can't accept this..." began a soft voice, sounding slightly embarrassed.

Ino grinned evilly at the man in front of her before replying, "Yes, you can Hina... you know it goes perfectly with what you're wearing..."

Kiba looked over at the doorway, feeling his blood pump through his body, anticipating the woman's entrance.

_It seems that he wasn't the only one with high hopes for this date of theirs... judging from Hinata's reaction...her blonde friend had just sprung a surprise on her..._

Ino narrowed her blues eyes then as if to say that he better appreciate the efforts she made on behalf of her friend before murmuring, "I'll be right back..."

Hinata looked up when she heard Ino come through the privacy curtains. The delicate lace shawl clung to the young woman's hands as Hinata continued to lovingly caress it with gentle fingertips.

Ino walked over and plucked the shawl out of Hinata's hands and draped it over the dark haired woman's shoulders.

"Hina, that man out there is dressed to kill and ready to break some hearts... I don't see why you shouldn't do the same... now; do you want to see what you look like before we go out there?"

Hina looked at Ino in wonderment before nodding her reluctant agreement.

The blonde woman walked into the bathroom and removed the sheet she had draped over the vanity mirror.

"Hina... you ready?" asked Ino, turning to see the dark haired woman looking nervous.

Hinata gasped as she leaned forward and stared in shock at the sultry woman staring back at her in the mirror.

"I told you that you'll turn his head tonight... I'll let you collect your clutch and I will go back in the front and wait with your date." said Ino, grinning wickedly in anticipation of the stir Hina was about to create.

------------ ------------------- ---------------------

"Is she okay?" asked a soft masculine voice as Ino re-emerged through the curtains into the front of the shop.

Ino looked up startled and was surprised to see the gentle concern mirrored on the large man's face.

_He genuinely cared for her friend... it was a novel experience, seeing a man have a look other than lust on their face when they were referring to Hinata. It gave her hope that this evening was going to end well..._

"Yeah... she's going to be fine..." replied the blonde with a genuine smile.

Kiba was shocked to see her smile like that but guessed that he must have passed some test and finally met with the protective woman's grudging approval.

They heard a soft intake of breath before a voice murmured behind them, "Okay, Kiba... I'm ready to go..."

Kiba tilted his head and felt his heart skip a few beats as he took in the vision standing nervously behind her friend.

_She looked truly breathtaking... and that dress... there was no way she was blending in the shadows tonight._

Hinata ghosted a small hand down the front of the scarlet satin dress and murmured shyly, "You like it?"

Kiba gave the box a swift glance and looked at the blonde knowingly before replying, "You look incredible, Hinata... just stunning."

The large man watched entranced as the dark haired woman slowly came out from behind the counter. He got his first glimpse of Ino's handiwork and was already beginning to have some serious doubts about his self control.

Kiba shot the blonde a lopsided smile and murmured obscurely, "Your friend will be safe with me…I can't say the same for myself."

Ino gave the man an evil grin, knowing exactly what he was alluding to before walking over to the door to open it for the couple.

Kiba lead Hinata through the door, trying not to be distracted by the gentle sway of her hips in that gorgeous scarlet dress that quite simply screamed of the promise of future pleasures of the flesh with the young woman.

Ino tried to hold back her laughter as she heard him grumble about certain blonde florists who didn't play fair before the door closed behind them.

_Yes – the predator was going to have a tough time tonight keeping the other wolves at bay from trying the pluck his prize out from under his nose… she could hardly wait to hear about it tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

Yes - I am still feeling under the weather but that doesn't stop me from writing through sheer will power.

Big thanks to **LostsoulofRegret **for suggesting the "Ino needs a man" challenge. You have no idea what chaos you have wrought, do you? XD

I would also like to thank those folks who are brave enough to leave me a review. It's great to hear your suggestions and thoughts on the story and your feedback is always appreciated. Thank you.

Special thanks to **Unit Fox-Hound** for suggesting a pairing for Sakura. It's refreshing to see that someone wants her to have some happiness in her somewhat empty existence.

This chapter is dedicated to my small group of readers who regularly send me private mail and provide a necessary outlet for me to do brainstorming for my stories. **Tomboy-girl21, Tha Cyckest, Inumatchmaker, Spicy Shani,** **blaze da dragon** and anyone else I may have forgotten to mention by nameThank you for keeping me on my toes. XD

Wow… you people are really getting into this Ino pairing challenge with zeal, huh?

I am literally overwhelmed by the response this challenge has received from the readership… but remember - you need to give me a reason why you are suggesting a particular pairing. This is not a challenge where the pairing is just decided by votes, you need to convince me that your choice is the better man and why.

So, this is your last opportunity to voice your opinion regarding who you want to see Ino spending romantic evenings at home with, because the winner or winners will be announced in the next chapter!

Good luck, my little darlings!

This story is a little darker than the average Kiba and Hinata pairing story out there. As a result of this, the story's rating has been bumped up to better reflect that it's a fiction for a more mature readership. Again - if you are upset by the thought of certain characters being portrayed in a less than flattering light, maybe you should consider reading something more...fluffy.

okay – on with the drama already!

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the thoughts of an individual.

**Disclaimer:** Yes – sadly, it's true… I do not own Naruto or the characters and I certainly don't make a red cent off my literary ramblings! Who in their right mind would pay for this stuff anyway?

**Unexpected Guests**

Kiba covertly glanced over at the petite woman sitting beside him in the dark interior of the sleek limousine.

She gave off a quiet aura that was pure old world charm and sleek elegance in her triple stranded black pearl choker, delicate black lace shawl and that scarlet dress that showcased her figure to perfection.

The large man felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips as he caught her lightly caressing the striking orchid corsage on her wrist that he had asked Ino to make to match her dress and could feel this strange need to protect her surge up inside of him.

_He had known that she was beautiful, even when she was hiding behind those over sized glasses of hers…but tonight, she was simply breathtaking._

Kiba mentally cursed that blond florist friend of hers for the umpteenth time in the last half an hour. Hinata really did look utterly ravishing tonight and he had a feeling that other men were going to notice that as well.

"Kiba…thank you for the orchid. It's quite lovely…I wasn't expecting you to give me flowers as well as offering to take me out to dinner." murmured the dark haired woman shyly with a small smile.

Kiba frowned at her comment, turning to give the beautiful creature beside him a long look of consideration before reaching out to gently caress her cheek with two large fingers and softly remarking, "It's no hardship to give you flowers, Hinata…In fact, I find that I want to buy you flowers more often…just so I can see that look you get on your face."

Hinata felt the breath lock in her lungs at his words and the way he was touching her face.

Kiba watched the blush steal across her face before she softly murmured, "Are you always this charming on dates?"

The large man grinned wolfishly and replied, "Yes, I usually am but I find myself wanting to be especially charming around you in the hopes of asking you out for a second date."

Hinata's eyes widened at that comment before she squeaked, "A second date? Why?"

Kiba dropped the hand caressing her flushed cheekbone and sat back into the cushion of the seat, crossing his arms, silently contemplating the smoky privacy window in front of him before finally answering the young woman, "Why not? Is it so wrong to have hopes that I may have another opportunity to spend an evening in your company?"

Hinata chewed on her bottom lip before softly confessing with a bright blush, "I suppose not, Kiba… I guess the men that I have had dealings with, are more interested in…other things. I've never dealt with someone who was genuinely interested in just spending time with me… "

Kiba scowled as he could well imagine what those other things were and found himself feeling oddly disappointed that this woman's only experience with men had been through indecent proposals.

It made him even more convinced that he really didn't want that kind of relationship with her.

Shino was right – she really was different to the usual type of woman he associated with…

Just then, the privacy glass slid down and Akamaru's voice drifted in from the front, "Mister Inuzuka, We're almost there… would you like me to accompany you…or would you prefer me to stay in the vehicle this evening?"

Kiba grinned at the large bodyguard's attempt to tell his employer that he liked this woman. It was rare that Akamaru offered to stay in the car.

The man with the triangular clan tattoos glanced once more at the young woman beside him before finally responding with a smile, "No, Akamaru, why don't you come with us… I think our charming guest here would be delighted if you joined us for dinner."

_No…He didn't want to rush into this and run the risk of scaring Hinata off..._

_-----------------------&---------------------_

Hinata tried to not let her shock show on her face as they walked inside the opulent surroundings of the restaurant and were ushered to their corner table by an attentive staff.

Kiba watched in mild amusement as his normally quiet and stalwart bodyguard helped the petite young woman into her seat before taking his own.

_It seemed that he wasn't the only one who felt protective about this particular woman..._

The large man with the triangular tattoos had to keep himself from chuckling when Hinata then chose that moment to smile sweetly at the burly personal protection and thank him, only for the big man in question to start blushing like a teenage school boy.

_Poor Akamaru... he'd never known the big man to be flustered by a woman before... _

_Well, no – that's not true... that florist friend of Hinata's made quite the impression on Akamaru the other day as well..._

"Akamaru really is joining us for dinner?" asked the young woman in surprised delight as she watched him sit down at the table with them.

Kiba knew what she meant by her question and wasn't offended. After all, she wasn't the first one to express surprise by the arrangement.

"Yes, Akamaru may be my bodyguard but he is also a dear friend... It would be an insult to seat him anywhere but at my table... you don't mind, do you? replied the large man, only to sigh in relief with he saw the woman shake her head softly with a delighted smile on her face.

_It wouldn't be the first time a woman had been insulted at the prospect of sharing a romantic dinner with the help. _

"No, I don't mind at all... it's not often I get the company of two handsome men for dinner." murmured Hinata with a soft blush to her cheeks.

Kiba watched Akamaru duck his head slightly but not before he saw the broad smile gracing the lips of his trusted bodyguard.

Hinata was actually flattered at the prospect of having the large bodyguard acting as chaperon for their dinner. She had always hated the way her father and his associates treated their personal security staff, even her own cousin, Neji wasn't immune to it.

It also gave the date a certain...old fashioned feel to it which appealed immensely to her.

"I don't suppose you can make any recommendations from the menu, could you?" asked Hinata, raising big silver eyes to the large security man.

Kiba tried very hard not to laugh as he watched the bodyguard give the dark haired woman a rare smile before launching into an animated conversation about the food and making some suggestions of dishes that she would like to try.

----------------&-----------------

Hinata had been initially worried that this date would be an awkward affair but she was surprised at how comfortable she felt in the company of these two particular men.

"Miss Hinata, do you want some dessert? They make a pretty mean chocolate mousse here..." asked Akamaru temptingly when the waiter came with the dessert menu.

The young woman laughed softly with a shake of her head before replying with a small groan, "I don't know if I should, Akamaru... if I keep this up, I think you and Kiba are going to have to carry me out of here in a wheel barrow."

"Akamaru's right, Hinata...the chocolate mousse melts in your mouth. Are you sure you want to pass up on the opportunity to sample it yourself?" asked Kiba with a wolfish grin.

The silver eyed woman shot the tattooed man a dark look as he went straight for her weakness before grumbling good natured, "I guess one or two spoonfuls isn't going to hurt."

"Have you decided what you are all having for dessert?" asked the waiter who materialized in front of their table.

Kiba leaned back in his chair enjoying the atmosphere that seemed to envelop the table, barely listening as Hinata and Akamaru placed their order.

_When was the last time he had this much fun on a date?! _

"And you, sir? What would you like for dessert?" asked the waiter.

_Her..._

"I think I'll have the tiramisu and a decaf coffee. Hinata, would you like something to drink with dessert?" murmured Kiba as he handed his menu back to the waiter.

"Oh! Um... decaf coffee sounds lovely, thank you." replied Hinata flustered.

Kiba grinned knowingly at the young woman's preoccupation, catching her eyes straying to his lips. It looks like he wasn't the only one thinking about alternatives for dessert.

_When was the last time he went on a date where it didn't end up in a tangle of body parts under cool sheets?_

The large man with the triangular tattoos continued to lazily observe his bodyguard and his charming date currently having an animated discussion about books they has recently read as he privately considered both questions and came up with the same answer.

_Never._

"Excuse me, Mr. Inuzuka? You have a call at the front desk..." murmured the waiter, breaking into Kiba's thoughts.

The large man had to smile when he saw the frown appear on the bodyguard's face before he quickly shook his head and replied, " No, it's okay, Akamaru. Why don't you keep Hinata company while I go and take the call? Hinata, my apologies... I won't take long...promise."

The dark haired woman found herself feeling a little breathless as Kiba got up from the table and prowled off to the vicinity of the front desk.

"Don't worry, Miss Hinata... He'll return soon." assured the quiet man still sitting at the table.

Hinata felt her face flushing bright red as she turned to face Akamaru and asked, "Is it...really that obvious?"

"No... only to me...but I'll let you in on a little secret, Miss Hinata... the feeling is quite mutual." replied Akamaru softly.

The dark haired woman felt her face blush a deeper shade of red before she smiled shyly at the large bodyguard and quietly said, "Akamaru...thank you."

Akamaru gave a small nod in reply, watching intently as his old friend and employer disappeared into the lobby.

_Yes, this one is different from the rest he had seen drift in and out of Kiba's life over the years... _

The quiet bodyguard privately thought that being different, wasn't necessarily a bad thing...especially in this case.

His friend deserved to be happy and not dragged through an emotional roller coaster like the one he experienced in his relationship with Sakura.

_Yes – he had a good feeling about this young woman._

--------------------------------------------

A long leg encased in fine silk stockings and a delicate strappy heel was seen emerging from the open passenger door of the powerful sports car.

Neji took the woman's hand and helped her gracefully out of the car, silently admiring the way her body moved underneath the black lace dress.

As Sakura waited for the tall Hyuuga male to lock the expensive vehicle, her jade eyes narrowed when she caught sight of a familiar limousine parked not far from their location.

_Kiba was here! This was a golden opportunity and she'd be a fool to not take advantage of the situation...especially since he was refusing her phone calls._

Sakura absently reached for Neji outstretched arm and looped her arm through his as her quick mind rapidly formulated a plan to chat to Kiba.

The pink haired woman felt a small smile tug at her lips at the prospect of persuading Kiba to be a little more...generous with her.

_Oh...she had no regrets about taking Neji into her bed... _

_He was everything she had imagined he would be as a lover and more... _

_No, she missed Kiba's financially generous nature more._

Not that Kiba had not been more than generous with her already since the dissolution of their...relationship but she still couldn't resist the allure to ask for...more.

It was just a shame that Kiba had to ruin everything by leaving her just because he found another man in her bed.

_No – she never thought he would leave her...because of **that**._

"Sakura... after you, sweetheart." murmured Neji softly in the pink haired woman's ear causing her shiver delicately from the sensation of his breath caressing her gently.

The pink haired woman slinked into the restaurant ahead of Neji as he held the door open for her to enter.

She could feel her ego purring in triumph as she felt the envious eyes of the patrons watch the striking couple enter the reception area.

Sakura covertly glanced around the restaurant as they walked to their table, trying to figure out where Kiba was sitting and silently prepared herself to step away for a few minutes to have a little _discussion_ with a certain tattooed man.

They had just reached their table when the pink haired woman picked up the distinctive husky chuckle of her ex drifting from a dimly lit corner table.

Sakura slid into the chair held out for her by Neji before surreptitiously glancing over to the tables near the balcony as her date walked over to take his own seat.

Her green feline eyes widened in mild shock as the sight of the Inuzuka Clan Leader sitting at the cozy little table with that blasted bodyguard of his and an unknown woman in a stunning scarlet dress with a matronly strand of black pearls around her neck.

_Good lord! Is that...a corsage she's wearing on her wrist?!_

The waiter stepped in her view then and she automatically reached out for the menu, flicking it open as the man droned on about the evening's specials.

Sakura's eyes narrowed unseen on the opened menu in front of her while her brain processed what she had just seen.

_That...that... bastard!_

_How dare he go out on a date! _

_He's supposed to be still pining over me!_

_Who the hell is this woman anyway?_

"Sakura... you having problems deciding what to order?" broke in a concerned male voice.

"Hmmm?" asked Sakura looking up at her date with a quizzical look.

"You were frowning, sweetheart." replied Neji with a quirk of his firm lips.

"Oh...yes, I was trying to decide which appetizer would be better." responded the pink haired woman smoothly.

Who ever the woman was...it was clear that Kiba's normally recalcitrant minder had taken a shine to her...

_Ugh! She'd always disliked the way that Kiba insisted that man be a third wheel to their dates... it was annoying trying to seduce him into bed with those all knowing eyes on her all the damn time._

It was a dangerous sign – it meant that **she **was different from the other women she had scared away from Kiba on previous occasions...

"Well, what are you planning to have as an entree, sweetheart?" murmured Neji as he perused the menu.

_Yes...this woman could be a real problem to her plans to get more...benefits from Kiba._

"I was thinking about ordering the Salmon, darling." replied Sakura as she shot a sly side glance over at the laughing trio in the romantic little niche.

She vaguely heard Neji recommend three options as she continued to watch them chatting like long lost friends.

_Hadn't anyone told her that she should treat the help as though they were invisible?_

_Oh course, it was all Kiba's fault... He was too considerate of that stupid bodyguard's feelings..._

"Sweetheart, I think the second option sounds perfect... could you order for me? I need to go to powder my nose... I 'll only be a few minutes." replied Sakura as she flashed the attractive man a sultry half smile before sliding her chair back and standing up.

Neji watched her walk away with a small smirk to his lips.

_God... those legs of hers are incredible... the things they were capable of ..._

It was just a shame that the Inuzuka refused to leave her alone... not that he could blame the man!

Of course... he finally gotten the message this time... but there was something off about the whole situation...

Neji frowned as he remembered the whole scenario.

If he hadn't known any better... he could have sworn that he saw a flicker of betrayal in those dark eyes before the large man had finally left the bedroom.

--------------------------6-------------------------

Kiba smiled widely at the host and said, "Hi, Steven... I understand I have a phone call?"

The host grinned and pointed over to the secluded alcove housing the courtesy phones, replying, "Why do you go over to the first stall, Mister Inuzuka and I will switch the call over when you're ready?"

Kiba strolled over to the phones and gave the host a quick nod of his head to indicate he was ready to take the call.

An unwelcome but familiar female voice purred in his ear, "So...darling... how are you enjoying your date so far? I was shocked to see that you had scraped so low in the barrel this time around... quite a wallflower that one..."

The voice gave a sultry chuckle and continued, "You'll be lucky to get a handshake from someone like her..."

Kiba felt silent rage engulf his large frame and his hand tightened on the hand piece as he growled in a low and furious voice, "Sakura... what the hell do you want now?! ...You already made your point crystal clear to me...so, what is it this time?"

He could almost see those lips of hers pouting as he heard her sigh, "Kiba... is that anyway to treat your mistress of five years... I'm sure your date would love to know all the details of our relationship..."

_Conniving little bitch!_

"Ex-mistress... by your choice, if I recall correctly...Say your piece, Sakura... and then leave me the fuck alone!" hissed out Kiba through clenched teeth.

"You really should stop grinding your teeth like that, _darling_..." replied the female tormentor on the other side of the line.

The large man's eyebrows shot up in surprise before slashing down in a forbidding frown.

"I will ask you this one last time... what do you want?" murmured Kiba in a low growl.

"Why... I want more money...of course." replied the cheerful female voice on the phone.

Kiba slid his hand across his face in frustration and hissed, "I thought the settlement was more than generous, Sakura... how much more are we talking here?"

"Oh ...I was thinking a hundred more a month." murmured the woman's voice.

_Avaricious little..._

"Not a hundred... show up at my lawyer's office on Monday and we will negotiate for a little more...but don't push it, Sakura... those fond memories of the many nights spent screwing each other's brains out only go so far in swaying me." snarled the Inuzuka.

Kiba felt his jaw tighten as he heard her gloating in his ear, "What time should I show up?"

"Since I know how much you despise getting out of bed before noon... how about I arrange to meet you at around two?" returned the large tattooed man curtly.

"I'll be there, darling..." purred the female voice.

"Oh, Sakura... one more thing... you go anywhere near my date or try to mess with my personal life... You'll wish that you were never born... do you understand me?" hissed out Kiba angrily into the phone.

"Perfectly, darling... I'm looking forward to seeing you on Monday." replied Sakura with a triumphant laugh before hanging up...

_Fucking little bitch!_

Kiba slammed the phone back on the receiver hook and stalked over to the now nervous host.

"Steven, if I receive anymore calls this evening... just tell them that I'm unavailable... thanks." replied Kiba curtly to the host who nodded vigorously in response.

The host swallowed nervously as he watched the large man prowl off in a foul mood back to his table.

_Shit... whoever that was on the phone... was messing with the wrong man!_

-----------------4--------------------

Hinata was startled when Akamaru suddenly stopped talking in mid sentence and placed a protective hand on hers.

"Akamaru, what's wrong?" asked the dark haired woman quietly in mild alarm.

"The boss is in a bad mood... that's not a good sign... it takes a lot to rile him up like that, Miss Hinata..." murmured Akamaru from the side of his mouth.

Hinata followed the direction the bodyguard was looking and felt her throat close up from fear and...something else.

She knew she should be afraid of the powerful man prowling towards their table, his fury coming off him in waves but instead a part of her was thinking how he would be if _other_ emotions were as deeply stirred.

Hinata could now feel her face going the same shade as her dress.

"Was there a problem, Mister Inuzuka?" inquired the bodyguard politely as Kiba stopped in front of their table.

_You okay, Kiba?_

"Nothing that can't be sorted out, Akamaru..." murmured the large man with a shrug.

_No – not really, old friend._

Akamaru's left eye twitched.

_Business issues?_

Kiba shoved his left hand in his pants pocket and briefly looked down before looking over to Hinata to flash her a quick smile.

_No. It's personal..._

Akamaru grunted in disgust as he continued to watch his employer in concern while the large man rejoined them at the table.

He understood clearly what Kiba meant... and covertly scoped the restaurant for the source of his friend's upheaval.

Akamaru moved his hand gently off the young woman's hand now that the danger had passed and continued to observe the room.

Suddenly the bodyguard sat up straight and tapped the table with his finger twice.

_Found them... two o' clock._

"Don't worry, Akamaru... the dessert will be here in a minute." replied Kiba with a wry smile before turning slightly to signal the waiter.

_Yes... I see them too, Akamaru._

"Akamaru... what did you order again?" asked a soft feminine voice.

The body guard looked down at the young woman sitting at the table and gave her a gentle smile as he replied, "I ordered the "Death by Chocolate Cake", Miss Hinata..."

_Yeah - he could see why the boss was extremely pissed by the current situation..._

_It was never a good sign when the ex shows up... especially when the ex in question is making the four legged bed beast with this young woman's cousin..._

A hesitant and shy voice broke into his inner musings then when he heard her ask, "Um, Akamaru... you don't...suppose...you could...let me have a little sliver... just a small piece to try?"

Akamaru looked over at his employer who was pole axed by the young woman's request before both men tried hard to hold back their grins.

"Mister Inuzuka...what can I get you?" asked the waiter who finally approached the table.

Akamaru ducked his head once more to hide his broad smile as Kiba covertly ordered the young woman a big slice of the chocolate cake as well as a bottle of the vanilla and ginger soda they made fresh every day for her to take home.

"I don't see why not, Miss Hinata... it's a big slice..." replied the body guard to the silver eyed woman smiling expectantly at the treat.

"Speaking of which... I believe that's our dessert coming this way..." replied Kiba, his good humor thoroughly restored at the sight of the woman's face lighting up in delight.

_Yes... he would deal with Sakura on Monday but right now... nothing was going to ruin this evening for him._

----------------------------7-----------------------

Sakura glided back to her table pleased with herself.

_She had that smug tattooed bastard over a barrel now... there's no way that he won't cave into her demands... especially after she offered to introduce herself to Kiba's...date... such as she was..._

The pink haired woman sat down and took a sip of the chilled white wine that was waiting for her as her date continued to watch her with that heated look in those unusual eyes of his.

She could feel the desire simmering in her blood as she began to anticipate where the evening was going to end.

_Unlike Kiba's sad little non event over there..._

She looked up as the appetizers slide onto the table and she smiled at the man across from her.

"Mmm... this looks delicious... I'm suddenly ravenous." murmured Sakura as she gave Neji a sultry promise with her eyes.

She watched him fumble slightly with the linen table napkin at the double entendre before settling back to his usual stoic demeanor.

"So, what did you order for an appetizer, sweetheart?" murmured Sakura.

The pinked haired woman's eye was caught by the sight of a gloriously angry Kiba making his way back to the table and his dinner companions as she absently listened to Neji describe his appetizer.

_Lord... that man was so incredibly sexy when he was in a full blown rage._

_It had been fun while they been together to deliberately get him upset just for the amazing make up sex alone..._

Sakura watched Kiba talking to that blasted bodyguard of his before he finally sat down to signal for a waiter.

Her attention was brought back to the conversation at hand when Neji asked, "Sakura, have you given much thought to moving out of that penthouse?"

The pink haired woman raised an elegant brow and took a small sip of her white wine before casually replying, "Why would I want to do that, Neji?"

Sakura noticed the small patch of red appear on his cheekbones as he responded, "I should think that your current place would hold...some bad memories for you..."

_Oh...yeah...she forgot she had said that to Neji..._

"Oh... Neji, that place has a lot of good memories as well...besides, I don't want to go apartment hunting... it's so frustrating." murmured Sakura with a small moue to her lips.

She could tell that he wasn't satisfied with her argument and slid her hand across the table to cover his own hand.

"Neji, How about if I change the locks and the security codes... would you be content with that?" replied Sakura with false sincerity on her face.

The man studied his dinner companion for a while before finally nodding his agreement.

_He wasn't thrilled with her insistence to stay in **that** apartment but he had no objections if she made the necessary changes to keep that man from harming her again._

Neji was rescued from his dark thoughts by the arrival of the waiter, who whisked away their empty plates.

He absently watched the man weave his way through the tables on his way back to the kitchens, when his eyes caught a flash of a gorgeous dark haired woman in a scarlet dress. It was a conservative style but it suited the woman's figure to perfection.

She was really was striking in an ethereal sense... but he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her somehow.

His eyes narrowed when he finally recognized the young woman's dinner companions.

It was that bastard Inuzuka and his muscled headed bodyguard that flanked the petite woman.

Neji wanted to rush over to the table and snatch the woman away from the clutches of that man or at the very least, warn her that the man she chose to eat dinner with – was bad news.

He continued to frown as he watched the waiter come back to the table with a paper bag which he handed to the Inuzuka.

Neji swallowed the biting remark that came to his lips when he realized that the dark haired woman was genuinely pleased with the contents of the bag and her smile completely lit up her face.

He continued to watch as the man with the clan tattoos signed the bill before the group gathered up their belongings in preparation to leave the restaurant.

Neji was momentarily distracted by his silent perusal by the timely arrival of their waiter with the entrees, that he almost missed seeing the woman leave.

"Neji, are you okay? You went pale all of a sudden." asked his dinner companion in a concerned tone.

The silver eyed man nodded numbly as he continued to watch his cousin leave in the company of a notorious woman beater.

_Yes – he was going to cause a scene at a certain Florist's shop despite promising that he would be on his best behavior..._

_That Ino owed him some explanations and he wasn't going to leave without his answers..._

-----------------------8-----------------------------

The sound of the ringing telephone woke Hinata up from her pleasant dreams of the evening before.

She reached across her bed and picked up the receiver, squinting as the morning light.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" crowed a happy voice in her ear.

Hinata sat up straight in bed in alarm and exclaimed, "Oh Lord, Ino... I'm so sorry... don't tell me that I over slept!"

Her friend's tinkling laughter rippled over the phone lines as she replied, "Relax, Hina... you didn't oversleep... I was calling for two things... I was wondering if you could drop by the flower market to pick up an order as well as get some coffee and pastries on your way in this morning."

"Sure, Ino... that shouldn't be a problem...I'll see you at the shop shortly, okay?" murmured Hinata with a smile.

"okay... Hina...I take it your date went well?" asked the voice gently on the phone.

"Ohhh...Ino... it was so wonderful that I am planning to go out with him next weekend." teased Hinata with a delighted smile.

There was an indrawn gasp before her friend exclaimed, "I want to hear all the juicy details when you finally get here, Hina..."

Hinata smiled as she hung up on her friend and slid over to the side of the bed, swinging her feet off the bed and onto the floor.

She pulled on her dressing gown and made her way into the kitchen but stopped in the living room when she noticed that the light on the answering machine was flashing.

"Hinata... This is Neji. I saw you tonight in the company of the Inuzuka..."

Hinata groaned when she heard her cousin's voice and mentally prepared herself for the lecture that was to follow.

"That man is bad news, Hinata...he'll only hurt you. I don't want you to see him anymore... do I make myself clear?"

She felt her eyes fill with tears of frustration as her cousin's message finished.

_They were always interfering in her life... why couldn't they just leave her to live her life, for once?_

She picked up the phone and quickly dialed Ino's number before she lost her nerve.

Ino could tell her friend was upset when she picked up the phone and heard Hinata's tearful voice on the other end.

"Hinata, what's happened?" asked Ino now worried.

"I just got a message from Neji... he saw me out with Kiba and he doesn't want me to see him... he says he's bad news." murmured Hinata with a hiccup.

_That interfering bastard..._

"Hinata, don't worry about your cousin... let me deal with the baka. In the meantime, why don't you try to calm down and I will see you shortly at the shop, okay?" replied Ino soothingly to the clearly upset woman.

"Uh...Ino? You sure you want to talk to Neji?" asked Hinata worried.

Ino nodded with a grim little smile to her face and replied, "Oh yes...I'm certain, Hina... just leave him to me. In the meantime, you should get organized... we have another busy day ahead of us."

She heard Hinata let out the breath she had been holding and shakily reply, "okay, Ino... I'll see you in a couple of hours..."

Hinata placed the receiver back into its cradle with a sigh.

_Just when things seem to be looking up for her... Neji had to poke his nose in her business..._

_Still... she was a little concerned about letting Ino take care of Neji on her behalf... given their personal history._

------------------------6------------------

"That over protective pig! It was obvious she had a good time last night...then shit for brains had to go ruin it by calling... bastard!" muttered Ino as she put down the phone.

The blond woman leaned up against the counter and folded her arms under her breasts as she continued to think dark thoughts about the silver eyed man.

_Oh yes! She couldn't wait to have a chat to that puffed up peacock about keeping his nose out of things that clearly didn't concern him..._

Ino frowned slightly as she heard the shop phone ring and looked down at the caller identification, not recognizing the number.

"The Flower Basket – Ino speaking... how can I help you?" asked Ino in a professional tone.

"Miss Yamanaka, this is Akamaru... Mister Inuzuka's body guard." replied a sexy masculine voice.

The blond felt her eyebrows shot up into her hairline as she indeed recognized her early morning caller.

"Uh...Mister..." started Ino only for that husky voice to cut in.

"Please, Miss Yamanaka... Akamaru is fine." returned that sexy and oh so polite voice on the other end of the phone.

Ino silently cursed herself as she felt a rare blush steal across her cheekbones as she replied, "Akamaru, to what do I owe this unexpected phone call?"

She heard a pause on the other end of the phone before the man murmured, "I think this may be an inopportune time to ask, Miss Yamanaka... you sound like you're upset..."

Ino's eyes widened in shock at the man's perceptiveness before she carefully replied, "Don't worry, Akamaru... I will be fine once I have a chat to Hinata's cousin..."

She heard the large man give out a sigh before she heard him say, "I was afraid this was going to happen... and just when the boss had found himself a nice girl too."

Ino swallowed the lump in her throat as she asked, "What happened, Akamaru?"

"I don't rightly know, Miss Yamanaka... but I suspect that his ex might be trying to cause friction. We saw her and Mister Hyuuga when we were at the restaurant."

Ino pushed a hand through her hair in frustration as she grumped, "Lovely...just lovely..." before asking in a concerned tone, "So, Akamaru... honestly... Hina did have a good time with your employer, right?"

She could almost hear the smile in the man's voice as he replied, "Oh, she did indeed, Miss Yamanaka."

"Please... call me, Ino. Miss Yamanaka sounds so stuffy." replied the blond with a small pout.

Ino was surprised when she heard the large man let out a bark of deep laughter before he huskily confessed, "I have never seen the boss as happy as he was with your friend last night..."

_Well, well... little Hina made quite the impression on the big guy then... interesting._

"So, Akamaru...I take it there was a reason that you were calling me...other than to discuss our friends' date..." asked Ino with a small smile on her face.

She listened, becoming even more intrigued as she heard the man clear his throat before replying, "Uh, Miss... Ino... I know this is short notice and all but I was wondering if you would be interested in going to see a movie with me this evening?"

"You're asking me out on a date?" gasped Ino, surprised by the unexpected invitation.

"Uh, yes... unless you don't wish to or..." murmured the masculine voice on the other end of the phone.

"No... no. A movie would be great... perfect in fact." assured the blond hurriedly to the man.

"We can go out to eat afterwards, if that's okay... do you have a preference?" asked Akamaru.

"Would you be offended if I suggested we get a pizza?" asked Ino, still a little taken aback that this man that she had threatened to maim – was offering to take her out.

She heard the large man laugh as he replied, "No, not at all... Pizza sounds great... I know this great little family run Pizza Parlor downtown..."

Ino gave a gasp as she realized which pizza restaurant he referring to.

"Giorgio's Pizza... yes, I know it... it's my favorite place to go after work." said Ino with a smile.

_If she wasn't careful... she could grow to like this guy... a lot._

"What time would you like for me to pick you up, Ino?" replied Akamaru with a broad grin on his face.

"How about six o'clock...unless that's too early for you?" murmured Ino.

"No, six sounds great... I'll see you then, Ino."

The blond woman put down the phone in a daze.

_What the hell just happened? _

_And why am I suddenly wanting the day to end?_

------------------------6-------------------------

Hinata pulled the van into the back parking lot and looked up to see her friend waving back at her from the top of the stairs.

The dark haired woman parked the large delivery vehicle and waited for her friend to join her.

"Were there any problems picking up the flowers, Hina?" asked Ino as she opened the side door of the van.

"No, thank goodness...Mister Tanaka says hello and to let you know that they will be getting in a shipment of those miniature Cattleya Orchids in the next week or so. He wanted to know if you wish to place an order and how many to set aside for you." replied Hinata as she pulled a couple of black buckets out.

Ino pulled out two buckets and followed her dark haired friend up the back stairs and into the flower shop.

"Thanks, Hina...I'll call him Monday and take care of that." replied Ino with a smile as she placed her buckets into the cold room and followed her friend back out to the van.

Hinata paused in her retrieval of the buckets and gave Ino a quizzical look before finally asking, "Uh, Ino... are you okay? I noticed that you've had that "cat's got the cream" look on your face since I arrived."

The blond grinned wider and nonchalantly replied, "Oh... I just got asked out on a date after I finished talking to you on the phone this morning."

_Wait... Ino was going on a date?! Was the world going to end tomorrow?_

"I know, Hina... it shocked the hell out of me too when I accepted Akamaru's invitation to see a movie tonight." continued Ino with a laugh as she watched her friend's eyes widen in shock.

"Wait... Akamaru? Ino, when did you meet Akamaru?" asked Hinata with a frown as she picked up two more flower buckets, seeing her blond friend's face going a dull brick red from embarrassment.

_Oh shit... _

_Oh well, she may as be honest with her friend..._

"When I went to see your date at his office last Monday to read him the riot act and warn him that he better treat you with respect or I was going to pay him another visit?" replied Ino with an embarrassed laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Hinata turned away before she gave into the urge to laugh at her friend and walked over to the stairs.

"You-you're not mad, are you... Hina?" asked Ino now worried as the dark haired woman paused on the bottom step, her shoulders shaking.

"Let me guess... Akamaru frisked you and you treated him to the Ino charm, didn't you? Don't worry, Ino... I was subjected to the same treatment when I had to make a delivery..." murmured Hinata as she continued up the stairs, her tinkling laughter drifting over to the stunned florist still standing at the van.

Ino snatched up two more buckets and followed her friend back into the store, shaking her head wryly.

Hinata waited for Ino to place the flowers in the cold room before finally answering her friend's question with a grateful smile on her lips, "No, Ino...I'm not upset. You are just looking out for my best interests, I know that... I couldn't ask for a better friend than you. At least you're not telling me that I shouldn't date him...and ...I really appreciate that."

"Thanks, Hina..." mumbled Ino now truly embarrassed by her high handed ways.

"I think you are going to enjoy seeing a movie with Akamaru, Ino. He's a pretty sweet guy... I actually enjoyed talking to him during dinner last night." drifted back Hinata's voice.

"Wait... you're telling me that Akamaru ate with you last night?" exclaimed Ino in shock.

The blond finally caught up with her friend at the van and pulled out the last two buckets.

"Well, yes... Kiba explained that although Akamaru is an employee, he is also a dear friend and it would be an insult to make him eat anywhere else but at his table." replied Hinata in a quiet but matter of fact tone of voice.

Ino nodded in understanding at the man's logic and couldn't help but feel grudging respect for a man who treated his paid shadow with such courtesy.

_He's certainly a little different from the rest of his type, that's for sure..._

_No wonder Akamaru seemed so knowledgeable about what happened at the date last night... he had been the chaperon._

"You didn't mind the arrangement, Hina?" asked Ino as she followed the petite woman back up the stairs.

"Oh, no... not at all, Ino. I was flattered to be truthful... I didn't feel that I needed to be on...my guard around Kiba...it was...really...nice." murmured Hinata with a wistful sigh as she placed her buckets in the cold room.

The blond watched her friend straighten up and walk back outside.

_Yeah... she could see why Hina would be more than relieved by that arrangement..._

Ino sadly contemplated the blue sky peeking in from the open door before placing her own buckets into the cold room.

The blond woman had been fervently hoping that Kiba could help Hina trust the male race once again... and she had to admit that the man was off to a great start so far.

----------------------------$------------------------------

"Mister Inuzuka, is it okay if I leave early today?"

Kiba looked over his shoulder at his ever present minder and raised an eyebrow.

"Akamaru, you know you don't need to be so formal when it's just the two of us... and no, I certainly don't mind if you wish to leave early tod..." replied the large tattooed man only to stop when he caught sight of the ruddy flush on his friend's face.

"Uh... you okay, old friend?" asked Kiba as he turned to look at Akamaru in growing concern.

"Yeah... I'm more than fine, Mist... Kiba." murmured Akamaru gruffly before looking down at the ground and mumbling, "I have a date tonight with...Ino."

Kiba's eyes widened in shock before he broke out in a delighted grin and couldn't help teasing his dear friend, "Hinata's florist friend? The one that threatened to plant her dainty foot in an interesting and creative place on your anatomy? Surely, you jest."

Akamaru broke out into a matching grin and shook his head at Kiba's light hearted banter.

"Yeah... the same Ino... I like her spunk, Kiba... I haven't stopped thinking about her since she showed up at the office on Monday." confessed the large bodyguard with a deeper flush to his cheeks, still contemplating the floor.

"Hell, man... there's no need to be embarrassed... I'm pleased for you. You need to take the rest of the afternoon off to get ready?" asked Kiba with a wolfish grin.

Akamaru looked up and gave his childhood friend a light playful jab on the shoulder, muttering under his breath, "Baka... I'm just taking her out to see a movie and grab a pizza afterwards... nothing fancy."

"So? It sounds like a perfect date for you and Ino didn't seem too put out about going to see a movie, right?" prompted Kiba with a raised eyebrow.

Akamaru smiled sheepishly and nodded, "No...she seemed happy about going to see a movie. She actually suggested we get a pizza afterwards..."

Kiba gave the bodyguard another broad smile and asked, "So, what's wrong? You seem...a little nervous for something you tell me that is...nothing fancy."

Akamaru shrugged, turning away before jamming his hands into his coat pockets.

The large bodyguard stiffened slightly at the feel of a firm hand on his shoulder but let out the breath he held as he heard Kiba quietly reply, "Akamaru... there's no need to over analyze this and start worrying yourself over things that may never come to pass. You know, there _are_ women out there who prefer their men to be low key and easy going... just be yourself, old friend."

Akamaru stared off into the distance for a while before finally nodding his head slowly in agreement at Kiba's sage advice.

"Okay, I'll leave here at five o-clock then, if that's fine with you, Kiba." replied the quiet man.

"In the meantime, you may want to check out the paper in your spare time today to see what movies Ino might be interested in seeing...just a suggestion. Come on, we better get back inside... our morning appointment will be here shortly." said Kiba before removing his hand off his friend's shoulder.

Akamaru turned to watch his childhood friend move off towards the direction of the office building before he followed him at a discreet distance.

------------------------------------5---------------------------

Ino mentally growled at the phone as it rang yet again, while she was in the middle of doing an arrangement.

Her finger slipped down to the button for her head set pack on her waist to transfer the call before she picked up the order pad beside the vase she was currently working on.

"The Flower Basket... Ino speaking... Yes...we can deliver today by five... Okay... we can do that... what is the budget... sure, we can still make something gorgeous in that price range... is there any flowers you would prefer me to incorporate into the bouquet? Okay...we can definitely put some of those in the final arrangement... Yes, we take that card...Where does the delivery need to go, Mister Hoshigawa?" replied the young woman as she filled out the order slip and wrote down the credit card information on the top portion of the order.

"Do you wish to include a card? ...What would you like me to put on it?" replied Ino, trying to remain professional as she filled out the card for the order.

"Okay, Mister Hoshigawa... Yes, you have a wonderful day too, good bye." murmured Ino courteously, inwardly seething at the cheap ass bastard on the other end of the phone before finally hanging up with a flick of the button.

"Some men should be taken out and shot..." muttered Ino as she walked over to the register to ring up the order.

"Let me guess...you got another business man trying to cheap it out on flowers for his wife, didn't you?" replied an amused voice from the back door.

Ino looked up from the credit card machine and grinned at the sight of her friend standing in the doorway, dark over-sized glasses firmly in place.

"Yeah... this one was a first prize winner though... he wanted me to incorporate expensive flowers into a low end bouquet... It can done... but...why should his poor wife have to put up with his shit when I know for a fact that this jerk is sparing no expense on flowers for his mistress." growled out the blond woman in an aggrieved tone.

"I take it that he wants the arrangement delivered today, hmmm?" returned Hinata with an amused half smile as she watched her friend tear off the completed credit slip with a little more aggression than normal.

"Yeah...five o'clock... just in time for the final deliveries... bastard." sighed Ino stapling the receipt to the store copy of the order.

Hinata walked over to the work table and stared in mild dismay at the orders that were going out in the last two delivery runs.

"Ino... how many of these are orders that were last minute?" asked the dark haired woman still in mild shock.

"Lah...more than half, Hina... and yeah, they're all prize catches. I swear, you would think that they would get a clue and realize that it's not a smart idea to think that you can get away with screwing around behind your significant other's back." replied Ino with a groan as she returned back to the arrangement she had been working on.

Hinata walked over to pick up the first order going out in the next delivery, only to hear Ino quietly murmur, "Hina... the next delivery run can wait... why don't you sit down for a few minutes... you look like you could do with a break."

Hinata sat down at the work bench, watching in admiration as Ino's hands moved with deft precision on the arrangement until she placed the last bloom into place.

Ino carefully lifted the completed bouquet into the cardboard carrier box and clipping the delivery slip to the outside before finally turning to her seated friend with a ready smile on her face.

"Hina... why don't I make us some coffee before I start on the next one and you can finally tell me how your date went." murmured Ino rubbing her back absently before she walked off to the kitchen.

"It's been another tough day hasn't it, Ino?" called out Hinata in a voice tinged with concern.

The blond woman returned to the work area with two cups in hand and replied with a sigh, "Yeah...it's been a challenge...especially with Bridezilla calling in to change the color of the bridesmaids' flowers for the third time this month."

"Her wedding isn't for another four months, right?" replied Hinata with a small groan, remembering the one time she had met the demanding young woman in question.

"Yes...four months, fifteen days, nine hours, thirty-six minutes and counting..." murmured Ino with a small grimace as the dark haired woman laughed softly at her friend's sour expression.

Hinata took her cup of coffee, taking a sip before quietly replying with a little smile, "No, Ino... I had a wonderful time with Kiba last night... he was really...quite charming...but...I was a little disappointed by how the evening ended."

Ino turned and looked at her friend with a small frown on her face and asked, "You were disappointed...why?"

Hinata felt her face burn up as she sheepishly murmured, "I was hoping that I would get...a good night kiss...but...he just kissed my hand, told me that he would see me next weekend and walked back to the limo."

Ino looked at her friend in mild shock before finally succumbing to her urge to laugh.

"Sorry, Hina... I didn't mean to...laugh...but you...must admit that it's ...pretty amusing that the first time that you want a man to touch you in that way...he turns out to be a perfect gentleman." replied Ino with a wide smile, secretly impressed by the man's actions.

"So...I...didn't do anything...wrong?" asked Hinata still a little embarrassed.

"No, Hina... if I didn't know any better...I would say that he is intent on wooing you...slowly." smirked the blond as she watched the crestfallen look appear on her friend's face.

"Oh..." murmured Hina, a little disappointed.

"No, no...Hina...that's good. It means that he respects you... and is willing to wait until you're ready...and that's not a bad thing." replied Ino with a half smile.

The two women sat side by side sipping their coffee in silence for a while before Hinata finally asked in a worried tone, "So, I didn't scare him off then?"

Ino quickly swallowed the last mouthful of coffee before she did something stupid like...spit the hot liquid over the orders.

"No, Hina...I doubt you can scare this one off..." croaked out Ino, her blue eyes watering a little from the slight burn of the hot coffee rapidly going down her throat.

"Really?" asked Hinata in surprise.

Ino quickly blinked her eyes before turning to smile at the young woman beside her and saying, "Yes, Hina...Really."

Hinata pushed herself up with a small sigh and with a meaningful look at the deliveries waiting on the table, she held out her hand for Ino's empty cup before walking back into the kitchen.

Ino returned her friend's sentiment with a heavy sigh of her own, picking up a glass vase from the counter and carefully prepared it for the next arrangement.

Hinata came back into the room and scanned the delivery roster for a moment before shifting the flowers on the work space according to their delivery zones.

The two women worked in silence until Hinata came back to load the last of the flowers for the furthest delivery zone for this particular run.

Ino looked up in mild surprise as she heard her dark haired friend pause at the back door and quietly say, "That's a relief... because I really like him."

The blond felt a wide smile appear on her face as the back door quietly closed behind Hinata.

"Well, well... I certainly wasn't expecting that at all, Hina..." murmured Ino after a while with a small smirk on her lips before disappearing into the cold room to collect more flowers for the rest of the remaining orders.

-----------------------5----------------------

Ino watched with a smile as the young couple pushed open the door to leave, only to frown when she recognized the approaching figure who was about to enter her shop.

_She had to admire his restraint! She had been expecting him a lot earlier than this...not when she was getting ready to close for the day._

"If you're here looking for Hina to give her a lecture about who she should and shouldn't date... then I suggest you turn around and continue walking..." greeted the blond florist to the tall brunette male who entered the shop and merely narrowed his silver eyes at her.

"You, of all people should have more sense than to encourage my cousin to date a notorious woman beater." countered Neji with a scowl, not at all intimidated by the bristling female behind the counter.

Ino's blue eyes glared at him for that low blow and decided that she was going to return the favor.

"And you truly have your head firmly lodged up your ass, Neji, if you had honestly thought for a brief moment that I wouldn't check out this guy before Hinata went out in public with him." replied Ino in a sour tone before she crossed her arms in front of her and continued in the same tone, "The man I threatened with bodily harm on Monday did not come across as the type who enjoyed beating women... he's certainly more than capable of doing other things of a more pleasurable nature to them – yes... but beating them to an inch of their lives wasn't one that came to my mind when I met him."

Ino's sapphire blue eyes narrowed dangerously on the Hyuuga male as he pushed himself away from the door and walked slowly over to where she stood behind the counter.

"It wouldn't be the first time that you were wrong about a man, Ino..." replied Neji as he finally stopped in front of the florist.

"Well, I'm not wrong about this one... However, it's pretty obvious to me that you're clearly not thinking with the right head if you truly believe that Kiba Inuzuka gets off on hitting women." countered the blond woman with a soft growl.

Ino could see what was going on in the man's mind and she finally murmured in a low voice, "You got played, Neji... you are not the first man to be told a pack of lies...and you're not going to be the last man... Look, I don't know this Sakura but it's obvious that she's the type of woman who willing to do what it takes to get what she wants... and she wanted you...badly enough to employ every trick in her arsenal... and guess what? It worked – big surprise."

"You managed to come to this conclusion all by yourself, Ino? I'm impressed... I wouldn't have pegged you for a...deep thinker." replied Neji coolly, raising an elegant eyebrow as he waited for her explosive response.

"Listen, your cherry bomb isn't as smart as she likes to think she is... I may not be privy to all the information regarding this tawdry and sad state of affairs that you have found yourself ensnared in but I know enough to know that she's only using you until someone better looking and richer comes along...that's how her type works." hissed out Ino in disgust.

Neji continued to look at the young woman as he processed her revealing statement and replied in a deceptively casual voice, "I think you've said more than enough, Ino."

"Oh? You can always leave if you don't like what I'm telling you, Neji. Besides, I haven't begun to _even_ scratch the surface but I can tell that I've already hit a raw nerve..." purred out Ino, watching in evil delight as the man in front of her stiffened from shock and fury.

"Inform my cousin that I was here and I still wish to discuss her choice of date with her." returned Neji curtly to his blond antagonist.

"Nuh uh. I will tell Hina no such thing, Neji... Why can't you just let her have a life rather than being so damn... protective and overbearing?" countered Ino, leaning over the counter and glaring into the angry silver eyes in front of her.

"Kiba Inuzuka is no good. I don't want my cousin associating with a man like him." replied Neji in a low and furious voice.

"Is that your opinion or _hers_? You know, Neji... maybe you should try _asking_ Hina her thoughts on the man in question rather than jumping to conclusions that may be way off base." replied Ino with a sigh.

"Ask her?" murmured Neji clearly puzzled by the woman's suggestion.

"Yes, Neji. Why don't you ask her how her date went rather than assuming the worst... I have a feeling that you are going to be pleasantly surprised by what she tells you. Look, I know you care deeply for Hina but you need to give her credit and have some faith that she will make the right choices, okay?" replied Ino before finally slumping forward onto her unfolded arms and onto the counter in front of her.

"Uh, Ino... are you okay?" replied Neji, now a little alarmed by how tired the young woman in front of him suddenly looked.

Ino looked up at the silver eyed man with one of her eyes closed and tiredly murmured, "Yes, Neji... I'm fine. It's just been a long day...I had a lot of last minute deliveries that needed to made and sent out, I've got a wedding order that's starting to be a major pain in the ass, I have to deal with some vendors on Monday which I'm looking forward to as much as a gastric by-pass procedure and these little verbal tussles of ours don't help...they're pretty mentally exhausting, if you want to know the truth."

Neji felt oddly chagrined at the blond's admission and finally replied, "You're right... I need to respect the decisions Hinata makes regarding her personal life... I will call her tonight and apologize, okay? Ino...I noticed that it's almost time to close up...can I take you out for a drink?"

Ino pushed herself up off the counter and looked at the silver eyed man in shock, "Wait... Neji, you're offering to take me out for a drink? Are you feeling okay?"

Neji felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips as he replied, "Yes, Ino...I'm feeling more than fine... just having a rare attack of conscience...because every thing you've said to me makes too much sense..."

The florist gave the brunette a long look before finally murmuring, "As much as I am tempted to take you up your offer, Neji... I'm going to have to take a rain check on that drink until later... I have a date tonight..."

"W-What?!" exclaimed Neji hoarsely, his face becoming unnaturally pale.

"Yeah, I know... 'Iceberg Ino' on a date... what's the world coming to, right?" countered Ino with a wry twist of her lips.

Neji looked down at the counter and scowled, a secret part of him oddly upset at the thought of Ino dating.

"Isn't this…rather sudden, Ino?" asked Neji still in shock.

Ino looked down at the counter, contemplating the scratched and worn surface before quietly replying, "I kind of surprised myself when I agreed to go to a movie with him tonight…but there's…just something about this man…that's not pretentious. I find that….I wouldn't mind getting to know Akamaru ….better."

"Wait...you're going out with Akamaru Karisawa? Kiba Inuzuka's personal security guy?" asked Neji still in shock.

"Uh, yes... the same... is there a problem with that, Neji?" countered Ino with a forbidding frown.

Neji felt a hard lump lodge firmly in his throat at _that_ look of hers and knew he was already treading on very thin ice around this particular woman.

"No…why should I have a problem with it?" replied Neji coldly before swiftly turning away from the counter and stalking over to the door.

Ino was staring at the man's swift exit from her shop with a bemused look of her face.

_He couldn't be…jealous… could he?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

OO Last chapter on the list of the transition chapters to do and the hardest by far!

Special thanks to **blaze da dragon** for suggesting a theme song for Sakura in light of her sterling behavior in the last chapter - "Gold digger" by Kanye West.

I have a suggestion of my own for a theme song for Sakura - "Small Town Witch" by Sneaker Pimps.

So – anyone who wishes to contribute to this discussion of character theme songs, you know the drill... either add your 2 cents at the end of your review or send me a PM

Shino and Hana make their appearance in this chapter and I know there is going to be questions, so here are the answers to the two obvious ones.

1. Yes - This is the third story I have written in which a woman is expecting Shino's baby. Please don't try to second guess my muse and assume that it's the same plot line. Different women, different scenarios relating to the pregnancies... so don't be too surprised if the muse throws a plot wrench in the works.

2. Yes - there will be a Shino/Hana three part side story about their first encounter. It's called "Lucky Prize".

Thanks to all those readers who contributed suggestions for the Ino needs a man challenge for this story!

Okay – as promised the lucky man for Ino would be announced this chapter and there were a lot of compelling arguments for Neji.

The upshot of most of the arguments is that you folks want to see a cat fight between Ino and Sakura. The muse and I have decided to accommodate you because a girl fight is fun to write!

So, Neji will _eventually_ get the beautiful but oh so feisty mistress of the flower shop... but after a good deal of reflection, I've decided that Neji needs to work for it...

Yeah – you heard me. Neji is going to work for a relationship for a change... He has to employ more than his pretty boy looks to win the girl.

The winning reviewers will have the Ino/Neji date chapter (which, incidentally will be chapter seven) dedicated to them.

This chapter contains language suited for a mature reader. If swearing offends you, please don't read. Thanks.

A sentence in _Italics_ denotes the private thoughts of a character.

This chapter is inspired by the song "Crash into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band.

Menu items mentioned in the story are from the Restaurant Cassis in San Francisco.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or the characters... I don't make a red cent off of this either. I actually do this because I think this is helluva fun. Enjoy, beautiful people, enjoy.

**Butterfly Effect**

The elevator opened on the top floor to reveal to the occupants the vacant desk of the receptionist who was normally seen typing away like a demon.

"Akamaru." growled out Kiba in a low voice, now alert and looking for danger lurking ahead.

"I'm on it, Kiba…" responded the bodyguard before the large man brushed past him and stalked over to the office, his weapon drawn and the safety released.

Kiba walked over to stand near the abandoned desk as his old friend stormed into the office.

"BLOODY HELL?! KIBA! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!" yelled a familiar female voice.

The man with the triangular tattoos swiped a hand down his face as he recognized his sister's voice.

_Shit! He knew by that tone that he was going to catch hell for scaring the daylights out of her like that but he refused to apologize._

Kiba walked over to the office door and watched in silence as his bodyguard gruffly apologized to Hana.

"You! Is this how you greet your…" hissed Hana, only for Kiba to cut her off.

"Shut it, Hana! You should know better than to come to my office unannounced." replied Kiba, his ire up.

"UNANNOUNCED?! You young pup! You may be the Inuzuka…" spluttered Hana, her face turning red in outrage.

"That's right, Hana… I'm the Inuzuka and head of our clan… as such, I need to be vigilant and alert for threats from other families intent to erase my existence from the face of the earth. Akamaru is only doing his job." responded Kiba curtly, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

"Hana… I did advice you against dismissing the secretary from her duties… I'm sure that is what caused the concern in the first place." countered a third voice – low, silky and very male as a figure detached itself from the wall and walked over to stand behind the woman seated at the desk.

"Shino…" murmured Hana, trying to garner sympathy from her lover.

"We will inform your brother about the purpose of our visit in a moment, Hana. You need to apologize to Akamaru and Kiba for the unnecessary scare first." countered the tall man in the hooded sweatshirt and dark glasses in a calm voice.

"Hehe… I'm sorry, guys. I just didn't want that old busy body lurking around the door when I wanted to talk to you in private." murmured the brunette sheepishly as she shot her boyfriend a fuming look.

"Hana…we've been over this countless times before…Mitsuki is bonded to our clan… and as such - she is sworn to secrecy. Akamaru…why don't you head off to your…appointment? I will see you tomorrow." replied Kiba in an aggravated tone, still leaning against the door and watching his sister intently.

The Inuzuka glanced over at his friend before the bodyguard finally nodded his large head and walked over to the door.

Akamaru paused in front of his employer and placed his hand on the other man's shoulder.

_Are you sure you don't need me?_

Kiba merely tilted his head towards the door as a smirk tilted one side of his mouth.

_Go and enjoy your date. I don't need you around to deal with my sister._

"Have a good evening then, Kiba. Miss Hana… Mister Shino… good to see you both." murmured the body guard before strolling out the door.

Kiba unfolded his arms and stepped away from the door. He allowed it to swing shut before turning around to lock the door with a flick of his wrist.

"Okay…I'm assuming that the matter you wish to discuss is serious enough to warrant giving Mitsuki the rest of the day off?" asked Kiba, now more than a little curious.

"It is…I have asked your sister to marry me." responded Shino with a small incline of his head.

"Indeed? What did you say, Hana?" murmured Kiba slightly amused at his sibling's flushed cheeks and his friend's protective stance behind his sister.

"Yes…of course, Baka! We would like your blessing as head of the family before we make a formal announcement to the two families." Said Hana in a rush.

"You know you have my blessing on your union, Hana… Shino will make a fine husband for you and both families will enjoy a large wedding cere…" replied Kiba only for Shino to quietly cut in.

"There will be no large wedding ceremony, Kiba… we plan to marry as soon as it can be arranged."

Kiba glanced over at his stoic friend before looking over at his sister, the frown slashing down heavily on his face.

"When, Hana?" growled Kiba.

"When? What? I don't understand." replied Hana, a puzzled look on her face.

"When is the baby due, Hana?" growled out Kiba, his patience wearing thin.

"Oh….ah…" stuttered the brunette, a guilty look on her face.

"In seven months time… We felt it was best to inform you of our plans as soon as we had talked it over between us." responded Shino calmly.

Kiba folded his arms once more and contemplated the floor for several minutes before he looked up and stared at the couple behind his desk.

"Fine….have a small ceremony but…you will be having a large reception later on to formally announce your union to the two clans." countered Kiba with a warning in his tone.

Hana was about to protest, only to feel her husband to be lean over and cover her small hand with his and murmur quietly, "We agree to the terms."

"I don't want a big reception, Shino." griped Hana, a little put out.

"Sweetheart… this is a small price to pay if it means that we can wed quietly and without the usual drawn out formalities that usually occur in a union between two old and large clans." replied Shino with a nod towards the large male still watching their every move from his vantage spot at the door.

"Shino…this is rather sudden …" murmured Kiba, a thoughtful look crossing his features as he continued to intently watch the couple.

"Kiba, this is not a hard decision for me to make… I've wanted to ask her for a while …but she is stubborn and has kept me waiting long enough…" countered Shino, a hint of frustration now threading his tone.

Kiba nodded in understanding at that tone in his friend's voice.

_Yes – it was now patently obvious to him that his sister had been leading his school friend a fine chase indeed._

"Hana?! Don't you wish to be married to Shino? I got impression that since you two have been living together for a while that you didn't find him too objectionable…." asked Kiba, his eyebrow arched in question.

"Of course I do, Baka… why else would I say yes?!" replied Hana in a huff, outraged at her brother's insinuation that she was leading Shino on.

"Shino…I suggest you marry her as soon as you can before she decides to change her mind. Don't worry about the marriage contract. I am sure that your father and I can reach a suitable agreement in no time." responded Kiba, blithely ignoring Hana's indrawn breath at his comment and gifting his relieved friend a knowing smile.

The Inuzuka turned and unlocked the door, opening it to walk out of the office.

"Where are you going?! We're not done talking… I still have questions regarding your ex-mistress and this new woman you're now seeing." hissed out Hana.

Kiba looked over his shoulder and gave the couple an amused look.

"Relax, sister…I'm taking you two out to celebrate your engagement… you will get your questions answered after dinner." replied Kiba before walking through the door and letting it shut behind him with a soft click.

Hana's eyes widened in realization before she quickly pushed herself up and raced over to the door.

"Wait, Baka! You better take us somewhere nice! I want salmon!" exclaimed the statuesque brunette as she rushed out the door, leaving her now fiancé shaking his head softly in amusement.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neji stalked over to his car, a hand clutching at his stomach as his churning emotions tried to deal with the shock he had just received.

His brain was still trying to process the fact that Ino was going out on a date, with Akamaru of all people.

Hell – he had nothing personal against the man... he'd been around him long enough to know that he was a nice guy.

In fact – that was the problem right there.

He opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat as he closed the door with a flick of his wrist before draping his long arms over the top of the steering wheel and resting his forehead on top.

_Why did it bother him so much? _

_It wasn't as though he was interested in seeing the feisty blonde in that way._

_Right?_

Neji could feel a headache coming on and knew it was as a direct result of his conflicting feelings over this new development.

He refused to accept – even remotely, that he felt anything for that woman.

Hell – he'd known her for a long time to know that Ino could be a regular bitch on wheels to deal with when she was crossed.

_She kissed like an angel though..._

"What the hell?!" muttered Neji looking up from his steering wheel in shock as that thought crossed his mind.

"This is crazy. She's not even my type." grumbled Neji under his breath as he pressed a hand to his forehead.

_Liar. _

_At one time you thought she was..._

"Kami... that was a long time ago...before Tenten." groaned Neji, his head slumped forward as the pressure steadily increased in his skull.

_But...Tenten wasn't with him anymore...and he had moved on..._

_Sakura was a part of his life now._

He looked down with a sigh as he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

Neji reached a hand into his pants and fished it out, a small grimace appearing on his lips as he recognized the number and identity of the caller.

_Hell – He couldn't deal with this right now._

"Hello, Sakura... How are you?" asked Neji politely as he answered the phone.

He listened in silence as one hand idly drummed on the steering wheel before sitting up in his seat in shock and replying with a frown on his face, "No, Sakura... I'm not upset with you... I'm just received some shocking news and I'm still trying to take it all in..."

"I see…" replied the female voice with what suspiciously sounded like a pout.

"Sakura…. Are you upset with me?" asked Neji with a frown.

"No. no… not really upset…just…Well… If you must know… I miss you, Neji." husked that voice in a sultry tone.

_Hell… a part of him really wanted to take what she was willingly offering him but the other…_

"Sakura… sweetheart, I miss you too. I wish I could come over but I really need some time to myself tonight… I'm sure you understand, don't you…gorgeous?" replied Neji as he pushed a hand through his hair.

"But... but…Neji…you're never too busy to see me… and you promised that you would meet me at Cassis tonight." spluttered Sakura on the end of the phone, her indignation creeping into her tone.

The tall brunette male glanced briefly over at the small florist shop across the road and watched as Ino appeared in the front window and flipped over the closed sign.

"I know, Sakura….and I'm truly sorry but I promise that I will make it up to you, alright?" replied Neji with a soft sigh, feeling bad about lying to her but reluctant to tell her what was really on his mind.

He disconnected the call before Sakura could persuade him to change his mind and pay her a visit.

_And he was tempted...but he needed some time alone to do some thinking... time to figure why these old dormant feelings were re-emerging and now, of all times._

------------------------------ -----------------------------

Sakura looked down at the cell phone with a slight frown marring her normally perfect features.

She was worried and more than a little concerned. Neji _never_ turned down an opportunity to see her.

The pink haired woman was not happy in the sudden change of plans and stamped her dainty high heeled clad foot in disgust.

"Ahhh, Miss Haruno! What a pleasant surprise to see you this evening... you look breathtaking as always." murmured an admiring male voice from behind her.

Sakura turned towards the voice of the cheerful voice and was mildly surprised to see the solid figure of Choji Akimichi strolling towards her, his bodyguards trailing discreetly behind him.

"No handsome escort this evening?" asked the Akimichi, not bothering to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

"No – something came up and he was unable to meet me." replied the pink haired woman, the disappointment apparent in her tone.

"It's a shame for a rare blossom such as yourself to be sitting alone for dinner. I insist you join me at my table, Miss Haruno." returned the large man cheerfully.

Sakura flushed at the genuine compliment that the Akimichi gave her and nodded, for once not at all feeling her usual confident self.

_There was something about this man that just made her feel unsure of herself… something she hadn't felt like in years._

The feeling returned in force as the broad chested man stopped in front of her and offered her his arm.

"Thank you." murmured Sakura demurely, silently cursing as the blush stole into her cheeks as her hand felt the solid muscles under his sleeve twitch in reaction to her touch.

"Mister Akimichi, it's a pleasure to see you once again. Would you like your usual table?" asked the Host as the couple walked up to the table.

"Yes – Miss Haruno's escort is unable to join her this evening. Could you give her reservation to my companions and charge their meal to my tab?" murmured Choji cordially to the host.

The host nodded with a smile and gestured for the pair to follow him through the crowded dining room.

The waiter appeared with the menus and the specials before he too disappeared back to the kitchens.

"They don't mind being banished to another table?" murmured Sakura archly.

The Akimichi looked up from the menu in his hand and gave the pink haired beauty sitting across from him a mildly amused look.

"No not at all... They understand when I prefer privacy to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman. I am also aware that their presence has a tendency to...annoy you." murmured Choji with a wry smile before returning his eyes back to the menu.

"I see. How is it that a small fish in the Yakuza world like you can notice something that my ex was unable to?" bit out Sakura, now a little irritated that this man could pick up something like that.

"Being a small fish allows me the opportunity to better observe the bigger fish in action. There is much power in knowing when is the best time to act rather than plowing in head first. Would you like something to drink, Miss Haruno?" countered the Akimichi smoothly.

"Sure, white wine." replied Sakura as she gave the menu a cursory glance.

"Are you sure I can't persuade you to have a cocktail with me? The apple Martinis here are very refreshing." asked Choji watching the woman with an admiring eye.

_She was quite lovely... and not because it was her sole purpose in life._

"No... I don't believe so... too many calories." murmured Sakura with a small sniff as she picked up the wine list and perused over the selection.

"Of course... one wouldn't want to gain weight... it wouldn't do for a mistress to look less than glamorous." replied Choji softly not looking up from his menu.

"I can think of worst ways to get by in life." rebutted the pink haired woman stiffly.

"Yes... that is true...but answer me this, Miss Haruno... don't you get tired of waking up every morning to rush to the mirror , just to reassure yourself that your meal ticket is still as flawless as it was yesterday?" asked the Akimichi gently as he pinned the beauty with a long look of contemplation.

"Not all of us were born with a silver spoon in our mouths, Mister Akimichi. I had to use what nature gave me." replied Sakura bitterly just as the waiter appeared to get their drink orders.

Choji continued to glance at the menu in front of him but covertly observed the woman sitting there all prim and proper, her long fingernails drumming restlessly on the pristine tablecloth.

Even now knowing that the fragile looking creature had a spine of steel with thorns to match, only further increased her allure to him.

"I see... and you pretty much do what is needed to ensure your personal survival in this world, am I correct?" murmured the large man, watching the shock come into the woman's face as his words hit her like a bucket of cold water.

"And you don't?! I didn't exactly see you refuse Kiba's help when that other clan tried to take over your restaurants." responded Sakura darkly.

"Touché, Miss Haruno. I too am a survivor and I will do what is needed to protect the business that I built up with my own two hands than see it fall prey to someone else's greed." countered Choji smoothly as he lowered the menu and gave her a knowing look.

"I see you are surprised by my admission..." murmured the Akimichi after a while as Sakura finally turned her head and bit her lip, a guilty look ghosting across her features before it disappeared.

The drinks arrived with a flourish and the waiter asked, "Have you decided what you like for dinner, Sir? Or would you prefer more time?"

"Yes... I will have the Ravioles De Rouget for my appetizer and my charming companion will have the Salade Verte, since she's watching her figure." replied Choji.

"No – not the salad." broke in a soft female voice.

The large man looked up in surprise, noting the challenging look in her jade green eyes before asking with a gentle smile, "Did you see something that caught your interest?"

"Yes – I will have the La Tarte Aux Champignons for my appetizer, the Duo De Canard En Magrit Et Confit... and an apple martini with dinner."

Choji gave the young woman a warm smile as he added, "Can you make that two apple martinis for dinner as well as the Souris D'Agneau for me and an order of the Haricots Verts Au Choix."

The waiter left the table with a slight bow with their dinner orders in hand.

"So, you decided to throw caution to the wind for an evening, Miss Haruno?" returned Choji with an easy smile.

"I am more than a pretty face, Mister Akimichi." replied Sakura coolly.

"Indeed? I take it then that you yearn for other things beside financial stability. I imagine the extra money you will receive from Kiba Inuzuka will ensure that..." murmured the Akimichi picking up his cocktail glass and taking a small sip.

"How the hell did you find out about that?!" hissed out Sakura.

"I know that in your quest to desperately protect the lifestyle you've become accustomed to, you threw away the one thing you wanted more than anything… someone who cherished you." murmured Chouji watching the beauty with what suspiciously looked like sympathy in his eyes.

"I doubt it. Kiba Inuzuka never saw me more than a convenient bed warmer." scoffed Sakura.

"Is that so? How intriguing." murmured Choji.

"Intriguing? Why do you say that?" asked the pink haired beauty in mild surprise.

"You were his mistress for a long time, Miss Haruno… a little over five and a half years, I believe… If he saw you as a mere diversion of the sexual persuasion, I highly doubt he would have kept you in the style you had become accustomed to for as long as what he did… while he may not have loved you… I imagine that there was some affection between the two of you." replied the Akimichi quietly.

Chouji saw the flash of hurt enter the pink haired beauty's eyes before Sakura averted her eyes away from the man in front of her.

"Ahhh… I see…. My apologies, Miss Haruno… that was the problem, was it not?" murmured Chouji taking a sip of his appletini, watching the silent woman gazing out into the restaurant.

"Miss Haruno…as much as we want it… that is one area that we have no control over…and I'm sorry to see you hurting like this but trying to get back at him in this manner isn't going make the pain go away…" continued Chouji in a quiet reflective tone.

Sakura turned an angry face back to the man sitting across from her and bit out, "What do you know about it, Akimichi?!"

"You would be surprised, Miss Haruno… I do know what it's like to yearn for the unattainable." countered Chouji obscurely as Sakura's eyes widened in shock as she heard the bitterness and a hint of sadness in the man's normally jovial tone.

The waiter arrived back to the table with their appetizers and the young woman was more than a little grateful for the small interruption from this serious and highly personal conversation.

"Miss Haruno… I know this little talk of ours is making you more than a little uncomfortable, so I will move onto more trivial matters but if I can offer you a word of advice from a concerned friend?" murmured Choji watching the shock flit across the pink haired woman's face.

Sakura blinked and licked her suddenly dry lips, feeling a small curl of fear at this man's uncanny perceptiveness.

"Please… just call me Sakura. What is it you wish to say?" whispered Sakura, beginning to feel more out of her element in the Akimichi's company.

"Sakura, when you meet the Inuzuka at his lawyer's office on Monday… don't let your greed over cloud the good times you shared with each other. I urge you to let him move on with his life… without regret… as you obviously have." replied the large man quietly before picking up his fork to start on his appetizer.

Sakura looked down at the little mushroom tart on the plate before her but she glanced over at the man with the odd spiral tattoos on his cheeks and said in a hush, "Mister Akimichi… thank you. It has been a long time since someone has been as brutally candid as you have been…I will keep your advice in mind when I see Kiba on Monday."

Choji looked over at the young woman in surprise and countered, "Thank you…I can ask for no more than that you think about it, Sakura…… and it's Choji…not Mister Akimichi."

Sakura felt the first real smile come to her lips in years before she looked down at her appetizer and murmured, "Mmmm, I'm suddenly rather hungry...this looks delicious."

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Ino watched Neji's car drive off down the road and a small sigh escaped her lips.

"Ino…you sound down. What's wrong? The day finally got to you?" asked a soft female voice in concern.

"Your cousin was here, Hina… I'm afraid that I said something that upset him and he left here in a huff." replied Ino with another deep sigh.

The petite woman watched her friend still standing motionless in front of the door, the dead bolt in place but the chain to the sliding bolt dangling from her fingertips.

She swallowed the hard lump that suddenly lodged in her dry throat and quietly asked, "You two went for each other's throats over my choice of date?"

Hinata stared wide eyed at her friend's back as she heard a mirthless chuckle echo in the relative peace of the flower shop.

"No… I mean, yes – we got into a fight over your date but I managed to convince him that your virtue was safe." replied the blonde woman after a while.

"Ino!" gasped Hinata feeling her cheeks burn at the mention of _that_.

She could hear the genuine amusement in her friend's voice as Ino murmured, "Relax… Neji promised that he would listen to you without interruption when you decide to talk to him about your date and that he will endeavor to keep his nose out of your business…but I am afraid that he is more upset about what I've done… or rather – what I am about to do."

"What do you mean, Ino?" asked the dark haired woman.

_Ino always managed to somehow get under Neji's skin… so how was this time any different to the others?_

"Neji offered to take me out for a drink but I told him that I couldn't because I had a date this evening….He didn't take the news too well." replied Ino as she concentrated on winding down the shutters for the front windows.

"Ino…did I hear you correctly?!" whispered the petite woman in shock.

"Yes… I know… Neji _never_ drinks and yet…he wanted to take me out for one… yes, I was surprised too, Hina." murmured Ino absently as she walked over and picked up two flower buckets.

"Ino…what else happened when you two got into it?" asked Hinata in a quiet voice as she walked over to pick up a couple of buckets and followed her friend into the cold room.

"Oh…the usual. He criticized my deplorable taste in men and I then pointed out that his current tastes in the mistress department left a lot to be desired… the nerve of him though… he honestly thought that Kiba would beat you! I've never heard anything so ludicrous in my life!" replied the blonde with a snort.

"Neji…thought Kiba…would intentionally hurt me?! Where did he get that idea from?" asked Hinata, in shock.

"The new woman in his life… I'm guessing that she appealed to his protective side to reel him in." murmured Ino in disgust before stomping out of the cold room to collect more buckets from the front of the shop.

"She told Neji that Kiba beat her?! What type of woman would do something like that?" wondered Hina out loud.

"Someone who wants your cousin badly enough that she will employ every trick in the book to snag him." replied a voice quietly behind the dark haired woman.

Hinata turned, startled at the sound of the voice to see her friend standing there with a dejected look on her face and two flower buckets in her hands.

"Ino…do you have any regrets…I mean about you and Neji?" asked Hinata as she watched Ino place the containers onto the shelf.

The blonde shook her head with a wry smile and replied, "No, Hina… It was obvious to me back then that Tenten loved Neji deeply… and it was also equally clear that he returned her affection. I just felt like a third wheel at the time, so I thought it was best to leave before things developed further between Neji and I."

"It hardly seems fair though, Ino… he got happiness and you got…" broke off the dark haired woman, looking away in embarrassment.

"We all make our choices, Hina. Yes – he was a woman bashing asshole towards the end…but he wasn't always that way…not at first." replied Ino quietly.

"I don't see how you can forgive him for what he did to you though… I mean – you have to live with the reminder of that night…" countered the petite woman.

"Hina… yes, I have scars and injuries that will continue to cause concern …but that doesn't mean that I need to live my life trapped in fear because of what one man did to me….and neither do you….not every man out there is intent on hurting the ones they care about." murmured Ino, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder before finally dropping her hand to her side and walking out of the cold room.

Hinata followed her friend out of the cold room and watched in silence as Ino continued to collect buckets of flowers.

The blonde looked and caught the look of concern in her friend's silvery gray eyes.

Ino gave her Hinata a gentle smile and replied, "Hina….It will be okay…promise… this date is a start in the right direction for me…."

A soft rap interrupted the serious conversation and both women looked up to see Akamaru peering through the glass door with a worried look on his face.

"Ino… don't worry about all this. Let me finish putting the flowers away and I will take care of the receipts for today." murmured Hinata with a smile as she watched the blonde move over to unlock the door for the large security guard.

"Are you sure, Hina?" asked Ino over her shoulder, her hand resting on the lock.

"Yes…absolutely… you're right, Ino. We can't hide from the world forever, just because of a couple of prize catches." replied the dark haired woman with a small smile.

Ino gave her friend a grateful smile before she turned back to front door and finally let the big man into her shop.

"Come in, Akamaru… We can head off now if you wish….Hina has offered to close up the shop for me tonight." murmured Ino as she locked the door behind Akamaru.

"Ino…there's no rush…honestly. I will be more than happy to help you two finish up here." returned Akamaru gruffly with a ruddy flush to his cheeks.

"It's going to take at least 45 minutes to take care of the day's receipts." warned Ino, watching the man closely.

"No problem, Ino… it's not as though we have a dinner reservation we need to rush to." replied the body guard with a smile.

"Akamaru, why don't you pick up those flower buckets on the shelf next to you and I will show you where to put them. Ino can make a start on the receipts." said Hinata with a half smile as she glanced over at her blonde friend and saw the stunned expression on her face at the man's comment.

"Oh… uh… yes… that's a great idea, Hina." replied Ino hurriedly before she walked over to the cash register and started the final day's receipt.

"Ino…are you …okay?" asked a male voice softly.

The blonde looked up in surprise to see Akamaru watching her in concern, his arms around a small cluster of flower buckets.

"Ahh… yes…I am... actually. sorry… just not used to having a guy being so considerate….that's all." confessed Ino softly as she blushed in embarrassment.

"I suggest you get used to it, Ino." murmured Akamaru with a grin before he walked out of the room in the direction of the cold room.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Ahh, Mister Inuzuka…good to see you. It has been a while, no?" asked the host with a grin smile.

"Yes… it's been way too long but my sister mentioned that she wanted salmon and I immediately thought of Cassis." returned Kiba amiably, earning another beaming smile as a result of the compliment.

"Right this way, Mister Inuzuka. Joseph will show you to your table." murmured the Host, gesturing to the tall angular man waiting for them.

The waiter showed them to a quiet booth and left them to peruse the menus in relative silence.

"I could really go for a glass of white wine." said Hana as she looked over the menu.

"I don't think so, Hana." replied Shino smoothly, not looking up from his menu.

"Oooh…the tuna tartare looks tasty." exclaimed the brunette excitedly.

"Hana….you know raw and under prepared foods are off the list for a while." countered Shino flipping a page in his menu.

Kiba grinned as he watched them interact. It never ceased to amaze him that no matter how much his sister tried to push Shino's buttons, his friend always calmly deflected her little pot shots.

It had initially surprised the hell out of him when Shino had told him that he was dating Hana but seeing them together like this, it was easy to see that they complimented each other perfectly.

_Of course…tall, dark and silent would never in a million years let on how crazy he was about his loud mouthed sister…except when crossed._

"What's so funny, Kiba?" asked Hana suspiciously, watching that little smirk play across her brother's lips.

"I was just wondering… are men still coming up to you at the tracks, offering to give you a night of wild fun or are they too scared of Shino?" murmured Kiba watching the dark flush steal into his sister's high cheek bones before she thrust out a thumb and pointed at the tall man sitting next to her.

"_This one_ managed to put the fear of god into the first one stupid enough to approach me and the rest heard about it through the gossips." replied Hana in disgust.

"I heard that the man tried to cop a feel and found himself quickly pinned against a wall with a stiletto at his throat." said Kiba in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes…besides the fact that I am perfectly capable of defending my own honor…thank you very much… I wasn't expecting _him_ of all men to go possessive on me." grumped the brunette before crossing her arms.

"She's mine." mimicked Hana in a familiar cool tone, much to the delight of Kiba.

"You didn't seem too upset about it at the time…if your current condition is any indication." replied Shino calmly with a hint of smugness in his tone.

Kiba watched as his sister's face went a brighter shade of red and heard her mutter under her breath, "Bastard... thought you weren't going to bring that up… "

The Inuzuka couldn't help it. He let out a bark of laughter.

"Are you sure you wish to put up with her sassy mouth on a permanent basis, Shino?" asked Kiba with a knowing smirk.

"Yes." Replied Shino in a smoky tone, causing Hana to blush in embarrassment.

"Are you ready to order…Sirs… miss?" asked a courteous voice.

"Yes…I will have a glass of white wine." said the brunette with a bright smile.

"Could you make that a glass of still water for her?" countered Shino.

"The Tuna Tartare for an appetizer…" murmured Hana with a small warning tone in her voice.

"She'll have the Salade Nicoise instead." replied the hooded man calmly, despite the striking woman shooting daggers at him with her dark eyes.

"I want the pan seared Salmon... well-done." growled out Hana, only to be met by silence.

"For dessert, I want the cheese board and the chocolate fondue." said Hana with a snap of her menu, almost daring Shino to make a comment.

"No soft cheeses on the cheese board…she's expecting." murmured Shino.

Kiba watched in amusement as the understanding dawned in the waiter's eyes and saw him put a little notation next to his sister's dinner order.

"And you, sir?" asked the waiter to Shino.

"I'll have still water also, the Les Farcis Nicois for appetizer, the Le Filet Mignon, Sauce Au Poivre Vert Aves Ses Panisses for the main and since I know she's not going to share… I will have the La Tarte Au Citron for dessert." murmured Shino smoothly, switching between the two languages easily while deftly ignoring Hana's comment about showing off.

"I'll have a lemonade to drink, the roasted vegetables stuffed with meat for the appetizer, the rack of lamb for the main, a side of the green beans for the table and the strawberry napoleon for dessert." said Kiba, handing his menu over to the waiter and watching him leave to put in their orders.

"I see that there is nothing wrong with your appetite, Hana." remarked Kiba.

"If you're asking if I'm trying to toss up an organ as well as the contents of my stomach… then the answer is no." replied Hana with an audible sniff.

"If Hana wasn't having any morning sickness, then how did you figure out that she was in the family way, Shino?" asked Kiba quietly.

"I was concerned when I caught her trying to eat the entire contents of the fridge in one sitting three days ago." murmured Shino, looking sideways at Hana.

"Well, that's nothing unusual, Shino…I've always had a healthy appetite." countered Hana with a shrug.

"Hana…I had done the grocery shopping that morning before I left the house to do a consultation. I arrive home two hours later to find three quarters of the refrigerator's contents on the kitchen counter and you sitting there stuffing food into your mouth like it was your last meal." replied Shino dryly.

"What did you do, Shino?" asked Kiba, now more than a little amused.

"_He_ calmly sat down in front of me, pulled out his cell phone and proceeded to make an appointment for _me_ to see my doctor for a checkup that day." murmured Hana disgusted.

The waiter arrived back at the table with the drinks and a small basket of bread for the table.

"Could bring another basket of bread, please?" asked Shino as Hana happily snatched the basket out of the surprised man's hands.

Kiba waited until the waiter went back to the kitchens and watched his sister rapidly devour the bread in silence before finally replying, "I don't see why you are so put out by all this, Hana… it's not as though you're not aware of exactly who you're dealing with…"

Hana paused in the process of quickly popping slice after slice of the freshly baked bread into her mouth, swallowed the bite in her mouth before murmuring grumpily, "Yeah, yeah… the infamous bug man himself… he knows all… he sees all…even cockroaches fear him. I…was just hoping that he had given me time to discover it on my own… it would have been nice to surprise him once in a while."

Kiba watched as Shino reached out and gently tilted her chin, so that she was looking up into his face which was largely hidden by the hood and dark glasses.

"Hana. It was a surprise. The last thing I was expecting when I took you to get checked out was to be loudly congratulated on my impending fatherhood by that crazy doctor of yours." replied Shino quietly, making Hana blush before she turned back to the bread basket.

"Yeah…well, that made two of us…" grouched Hana morosely as she stuffed a slice of bread into her mouth and chewed aggressively.

"Hana… this doesn't change the way I feel for you… If you are concerned about whether or not I will still find you attractive, I will be more than happy to show you…" countered Shino calmly.

Hana's eyes widened in shock and embarrassment at her lover's words before she started choking on the piece of bread she was chewing on.

Kiba grinned wolfishly as he watched Shino gently pat Hana on the back.

"Shino… not in front of Kiba…damn it!" gasped Hana, red scarlet from embarrassment and almost choking on the bread.

"No, Hana… don't make him stop on my account… this is pretty entertaining. I am beginning to see how he keeps you in line." returned Kiba with a wolfish grin.

"I have had no complaints on my technique." murmured Shino calmly.

Hana groaned in dismay as her brother laughed knowingly at her lover's comment.

The young woman was relieved to see their waiter arrive back at the table with their appetizers in hand.

She watched the man slide the plates onto the table and was surprised by the slices of pan seared Tuna atop the green salad.

"Yes, Hana…you still get your tuna…it's just been cooked rather than marinated." replied Shino, a hint of amusement in his voice at his lover's obvious shock.

"Oh……..thanks." mumbled Hana before ducking her head down, picking up the fork and popping a piece of tuna into her mouth with a contented sigh.

"It's a good thing that you do so well in your business, Shino… I have a feeling that my sister is going to be expensive to feed for a few months." said Kiba with a small smile as he watched Shino move one of his hands and place of top of Hana's other hand, resting on the table.

Shino turned his shade covered eyes towards Hana once more and gave her a long look of contemplation before finally murmuring with a wry smile on his firm lips, "I find that I don't mind that at all, Kiba."

------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure you don't mind not going to see a movie?" asked Ino as she walked alongside the large man.

"No, Ino… it doesn't bother me. We both agreed that there weren't any movies showing that either of us was interested in seeing. I think the park is a great idea." replied Akamaru easily.

The lights flickered on in the large open city park as the couple entered through the black wrought iron entrance gates.

"Do you wish to walk around the pond or do you wish to find somewhere to sit down?" asked the blonde as they moved easily through the evening crowd towards a small cluster of colorful shops.

"When I get the opportunity to come down here, I usually make a bee-line to the little tea shop and sit outside on the covered patio overlooking the lake. It's really quite peaceful." replied Akamaru with a smile.

Ino exclaimed brightly, "Akamaru! …that's a lovely idea! Let's go!"

The large man allowed the petite woman to grab his arm and let her drag him through the main pathway until they reached the entrance of the little tea shop.

"Akamaru! It's been a while!" called out a female voice in delight.

The man turned at the sound of the voice before stepping forward and sweeping a tiny red haired woman into a welcoming hug.

Ino watched him finally put the older woman down gently before turning to wave Ino over to their location.

"Mariko, I know it's been a while but work has been keeping me busy …I brought a friend with me this time….Mariko, I would like you to meet Ino." murmured Akamaru as a ruddy blush stained his cheeks.

"Oh ho… it's about time you brought a pretty girl with you to my shop, Akamaru! I keep telling you that you're much too handsome and sweet to be on your own." crowed the woman as she swept Ino an admiring look.

"Ah…Mariko…don't embarrass me." responded Akamaru gruffly.

"Oh pooh! Don't you dare get all coy on me now, boy! It's good to see you here with someone else for a change…I suppose you want a pot of green tea and a tray? I am sure Ino would love to try my sponge cake." replied Mariko with a sassy grin.

"Ah, Ino…do you want green tea or would you prefer something else?" asked Akamaru, silently wishing the old woman didn't make him sound so desperate!

Ino chuckled softly and replied with a smile, "Mariko…I would love to try your sponge cake… it sounds delicious and yes – a pot of green tea would be nice."

"Akamaru… why don't you and Ino go sit down… I will bring out your order to your usual spot." Said the older woman as she shooed the body guard towards a French door at the back of the shop.

Akamaru opened the door and let Ino walk through to little back deck overlooking the lake.

"Akamaru, I can see why you come here in your spare time… it's really beautiful…" murmured Ino reverently as she took in the glow of the park lights dancing on the inky surface of the water.

Akamaru walked over to small table and pulled out the chair for Ino before sitting down and giving the view a look.

"Yes, it's nice here…I like the quiet." concurred Akamaru with a soft heartfelt sigh.

"Yeah…well, I imagine in your line of work… it makes a nice change." replied Ino covertly watching the large man seated next to her, his gaze fixed on the scenery in front of him.

"Ino…my job isn't that exciting… I spend most of the time shadowing Kiba and that's no hardship…" responded Akamaru easily.

"You two go way back, huh?" asked the blonde softly.

The body guard turned his face to the table and smiled at the woman sitting across from him and replied with a nod, "Yes. My family has served the Inuzuka Family as their personal bodyguards for generations…it's a proud tradition that I am happy to carry on with."

The somber mood on the deck was broken when a cheerful voice called out, "I imagine you're hungry, eh Akamaru?"

Ino bit back the grin as she watched the large man stand up and walk over to assist the old woman with the large serving cart.

"Shoo, you young scamp! I don't need help!" griped Mariko halfheartedly as Akamaru deftly grabbed the two tea trays and carried them over to the small table.

"All this is for us?" asked Ino in dismay as she eyed the two full trays dubiously.

Akamaru bit back the groan as he realized Mariko had brought his usual order as well as extra.

"Well, of course! Akamaru here has quite the appetite…" replied the old woman with a satisfied smile.

Akamaru felt the apology on his lips die when he caught the blonde's eye and she smiled at him, understanding in her eyes.

"We're starving, Mariko… this is lovely…thank you." murmured Ino with a smile as Mariko put the rest of the items from the cart onto the table.

The couple waited until the woman wheeled the cart back into the tea house, humming a happy tune before Akamaru gruffly said, "Ino… I'm sorry…it seems our plans have changed once again… you don't mind, do you?"

Ino shook her head and replied with a smile as she picked up a small petite fort, "I'm not complaining…this sure beats pizza."

Akamaru looked up in surprise from his task of pouring the tea before he chuckled and countered with a blush on his cheekbones, "Yes, this is definitely a large step up from taking you to a pizza and a movie… it's beginning to feel more like an actual date now."

"I was surprised that you wanted to take me out, Akamaru. I mean…it's the last thing one would expect from a guy I threatened to kick his ass." murmured Ino, going red in embarrassment.

The large bodyguard chuckled softly, handing a cup to Ino and replied with an easy smile, "Well, it's not often that I come across a woman who isn't at all intimidated by the way I look."

"What's wrong with the way you look?" asked the blonde woman with a frown as she took the cup from him.

"Well… uh… I'm not what you would call attractive and I'm not what you call a graceful guy." confessed the large man gruffly, placing a couple of the finger sandwiches onto the plate in front of him.

"I don't know… I think your looks are rather striking… you certainly made me look twice that day." returned Ino with a sassy grin as the large man flushed a dark ruddy red.

"Anyway…just because a man is handsome, doesn't necessarily mean that he knows how to treat women…" continued Ino dourly, looking down at the empty plate in front of her, deep in thought.

"Bad experience?" asked Akamaru softly, wanting to know what caused this beautiful woman so much obvious pain that he'd seen glimpses of in her expressive eyes but he was reluctant to push her for details.

Ino looked up and shrugged before selecting a couple of the sandwiches and murmured, "You could say that…" murmured Ino dryly as she raised her green tea and took a sip.

"I'm sorry, Ino… I can relate though…" murmured Akamaru as he picked up his cup and looked out at the lake.

The young woman studied the man's profile and watched the emotions flit across that expressive face of his before she finally softly asked, "What happened, Akamaru?"

"It's not a glamorous story, Ino… are you sure you want to hear it?" countered the bodyguard.

Ino glanced sharply at Akamaru as she heard the deep pain within his tone.

She sat up straight as she carefully placed the delicate bone china tea cup onto the table, licked dry lips and replied quietly, "Yes…I'm sure, Akamaru."

The body guard sipped on his green tea reflectively for a while before finally murmuring, "It was fine in the beginning…"

"Yeah… it usually is…" countered the blonde with a grin.

Akamaru broke into a relieved smile and nodding continued, "We had been dating for a while before I told her I loved her and I was thrilled when she told me that she felt the same way…"

"So – you fell for this woman hard and thought it was mutual…but that wasn't the case, was it?" prompted Ino, fascinated and more than a little saddened by the large man's story, knowing that it didn't end well for Akamaru.

"No, it turns out that it wasn't… I ran into her while I was out and about with Kiba…I caught her getting hot and heavy with another guy." responded Akamaru with a grimace.

"Ouch! So what happened when you caught her in the act?" murmured Ino sympathetically.

"She tried to brazen her way out of it… justified her actions by calmly explaining that if I wasn't such a boring homebody…she wouldn't have been forced to find excitement else where." replied Akamaru despondently.

"The little bitch!" hissed out Ino in disgust before picking up one of the little sandwiches and biting into it aggressively.

The large man felt inordinately pleased with the blonde's reaction and was feeling marginally better about talking about what was a painful time in his life.

"What did you say to her?" asked Ino softly as she swallowed the morsel and watched the smile threaten to break out on his face.

"I told her that I couldn't live with someone who needed more than I could give her and I informed her to come by in a couple of days to pick up her stuff, hoping that it would be the end of it." responded the bodyguard before popping the dainty sandwich into his mouth with a sigh.

"I see…but she wasn't ready to let go, correct?" murmured Ino sourly as she picked up her cup once more.

"Yes…it turned out that she still wanted me but she also wanted the option to date other men." replied Akamaru with a nod.

"In other words, she wanted an open relationship and she expected you to agree to her terms. I bet you were none too pleased to hear that, hmm?" concurred Ino as she took a sip from her tea.

"No, I'm sorry to say that I was less than understanding. I point blank told her to pick up her stuff and never darken my door step again." replied Akamaru with a frown.

"She didn't leave without a struggle, did she?" asked the blonde quietly, swallowing the hard lump lodged in her throat.

"No – she made my life a living hell for six months before she finally found someone else who would deal with her and her terms." murmured Akamaru, feeling the old hurt resurfacing.

"Oh kami…" whispered Ino in horror.

"When she died a couple of years ago… I vowed that I wasn't going to go through that kind of pain again…" continued the large man in that soothing low tone of his.

"Akamaru…knowing that you felt that way…why did you decide to ask me out?" questioned Ino, not aware that she was holding her breath anxiously waiting for his answer.

"Ino...when you threatened to kick my ass, I found I was smitten…and I couldn't stop thinking about you… I suddenly realized late one night that I can't keep pushing people away because I'm frightened of getting hurt… I need to move forward and leave the past where it belongs…" replied Akamaru with blunt honesty before taking a sip of the neglected green tea.

Ino put down her tea cup and unconsciously reached her hand across to rub at her sleeve, feeling the ridge of scar tissue through the fabric.

"Ino…you don't have to tell me what happened…." murmured Akamaru watching the blonde rub her arm absently with a thoughtful look on her face.

The young woman looked over at Akamaru and was startled to see the understanding in his eyes.

"Akamaru…I want to tell you…but not right now… I need a little time." said Ino quietly.

"When you're ready to talk about it, Ino…I will be there to listen." replied Akamaru before leaning forward and picking up the tea pot.

Ino felt the relieved smile return to her lips as she raised her cup and nodded for the man across from her to refill it.

"I will warn you though…Mariko will be back in a few minutes to see if you like her sponge cake…" murmured Akamaru easily, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

"Well, we better get to work on these trays then, hmmm?" countered Ino with a knowing chuckle, taking a sip of the freshly poured tea.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, isn't that Sakura leaving in the company of the Akimichi?" asked Hana in unholy delight as she nodded at the couple in the distance walking over to the exit.

"Well, it didn't take her too long to start fishing for another meal ticket." murmured Kiba in disgust.

"Awww…Are you still pissed that she got sick of waiting for you to make up your damn mind?" asked Hana in a chiding tone.

"Shut it, Hana – I caught her screwing Neji Hyuuga…and now she's putting the screws to me for more cash." growled back Kiba in outrage.

"Kiba… you know something, I'm rather surprised she didn't find someone else to warm her bed sooner… maybe then, you would have woken up to yourself. The woman spent more than half a decade sitting in that gilded cage of an apartment you set her up in, keeping herself beautiful on the off chance that you would call her…she was just a commodity to you…some precious little trinket you trotted out whenever you felt like female companionship." snapped back the striking brunette woman, now on a roll.

"Hana… the woman threatened to emotionally blackmail me while I was on a date with Hinata and you're defending her actions?!" responded Kiba in a dark and dangerous tone.

"Hana…" murmured Shino in quiet warning, only for his lover to abruptly cut him off.

"No, Shino… don't you _dare_ take his side in this or you will be sleeping on the couch, bug man. Yes – Sakura is a shallow and conniving creature but she deserved to be treated better than the way you treated her." replied Hana heatedly.

Shino wisely held his tongue and watched the two Inuzuka siblings verbally tear into each other.

_No – he didn't want to spend the rest of his life sleeping on the uncomfortable couch… thank you very much._

"Oh? I treated her like a queen and she does this to me?!" countered Kiba outraged at his sister's defense of his old mistress.

"Nooo…you treat the woman you're currently seeing like a queen and only because she comes from a good family who actually do give a damn about her in their own fucked up way…" murmured Hana with a knowing smirk.

"How do you know all this?" asked Kiba with a scowl, knowing for a fact that Akamaru wouldn't tell Hana about his date.

"Oh – please, Kiba… give me some fucking credit for having brains here. I _am_ screwing your surveillance expert and my best friend _is_ your bloody accountant… I took a look at the report Shino did for you and Aya made a comment to me in passing that she felt that the new woman was someone special because the only receipts she's received have been for flowers, which means that you respect her enough to not want to take her to your bed just yet." responded Hana in a hiss before turning her narrowed gaze on the man seated beside her looking at her with obvious disapproval.

"Don't you dare give me a hard time about snooping, bug boy…the threat still stands…" warned Hana waspishly.

"I'll deal with your snooping and mood swings later, Hana…but she's right, Kiba." concurred Shino in a low voice after awhile.

"You too, Shino?" asked the Inuzuka, feeling oddly hurt at his friend's comment.

"Your sister does have a point. I admit that Sakura could have chosen a better way to tell you that she was tired of the arrangement between the two of you…but I had noticed when I met you for lunch that day, you didn't seem heartbroken when your relationship with her had ended…more like you had been dealt a blow to your pride." replied Shino calmly as Hana vigorously nodded her head in agreement.

"Kiba… admit it. You never loved Sakura." said Hana.

"I liked Sakura… a lot." responded Kiba with a stubborn tilt of his jaw.

"Kiba… you're splitting hairs… liking someone is _not_ the same as love and you sure as hell know that." countered Hana with a growl.

"What do you suggest I do, Hana… let Sakura think she can control me by the balls?" barked out Kiba as several heads swiveled in their direction.

"Keep your damn voice down! I am merely suggesting you give her request some consideration because she sure as hell earned it waiting on your ass….you cheated her in the love department…the least you can do is make sure she is financially comfortable…it's not as though you can't afford it." hissed out Hana.

"So, you want me to reward her for screwing around on me…" huffed Kiba more than a little disgusted by his sister.

"And how many times did she screw around on you? Don't tell me that you don't know because I know for a fact that you got Shino to regularly run checks on her and look over the surveillance tapes from her security cameras." countered Hana archly with a raised eyebrow.

The retort that Kiba was about to launch at his sister died on his lips as he pondered that question.

_His sister was right…Neji was the only visitor the pink haired woman had received into her apartment and bed._

_Was he really that dense that he didn't for one moment, consider that he may have inadvertently pushed her into the arms of another man by his own actions?_

"Hana…enough. I think you have made your point plainly clear in this matter." murmured Shino in censure, watching the look of realization dawn on his friend's face.

"Kiba…you don't have to give her the full amount…I just think she's entitled to a little more after dealing with the years of uncertainty she faced in her relationship with you…that's all." replied Hana quietly.

"Hana…I won't make any guarantees but I will consider it." murmured Kiba grudgingly.

"That's all I ask, Kiba…" replied Hana with a sunny smile on her face, still looking at her brother expectantly.

"What is it now, Hana?" growled Kiba, wanting to finish dinner and head home to the relative peace and quiet of the townhouse.

"So, this Hinata must be pretty special, huh?" asked Hana, not bothering to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice.

Kiba felt his face get unusually warm as he murmured, "Yeah… she is."

"She's the one, isn't she?" countered Hana quietly as she carefully watched her sibling's face.

"I'm not sure…everything is still in the early stages…Can a person fall in love with someone on their first encounter?" asked Kiba with a half smile.

Hana turned startled eyes towards Shino and could see the knowing smile hiding just behind the heavy collar.

_Damn it to hell! The smug baka called it!_

"Yes, Kiba…it's possible." replied Shino calmly as he reached over and gave Hana's hand a gentle squeeze.

Hana felt her face flush red as her fiancé's comment before murmuring gruffly, "Kiba…why don't you call her and see what she is doing tonight…it's not as though you have any pressing clan business or other commitments to attend to this evening."

"You don't mind if I ditch you after dinner?" asked Kiba in surprise.

"Hell no… not if this woman turns out to be my future sister in law…" replied Hana with a wide grin.

"What are you two going to do?" queried Kiba, still reluctant to abandon his best friend and his sister.

Hana felt herself going three shades of red when she heard a smoky voice murmur, "Don't worry about us, Kiba… I am sure I can think of some way to entertain Hana for the remainder of the evening."

Kiba let out a low knowing chuckle as he pushed himself up from his seat countering, "Yes, I can well imagine….okay, if you are sure that you don't mind then I will go and take care of the bill…have fun, Shino… Hana – I will call you in the morning."

Hana waited until her brother walked off, his cell phone already in his hand and pinned her lover with narrowed eyes.

"How the hell do you plan on entertaining me for the rest of the evening?" hissed out the brunette, highly suspicious of his motives.

"Why do we go home and I will show you instead?" replied Shino smoothly.


End file.
